


The Amends of a Homicidal Human

by fallentale



Series: The Amends of a Homicidal Human [1]
Category: Undertale
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-03-20
Packaged: 2018-05-14 14:18:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 40,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5747599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallentale/pseuds/fallentale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The No Mercy Run is emotional for the player, but did you even begin to think about how Frisk was handling all of this?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Game Over

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I'm already posting my second fan fiction. I was going to wait until I finished Little Shop of Horrors: Afterwards, but I think I can manage to post two fan fictions at different schedules.
> 
> Anyways, I wanted to say thank you for taking your time to read this fan fic. I've been really busy with school work, so I haven't been able to post the upcoming chapter for LSOH:A, so why not enjoy this new fan fic for a change?
> 
> Without further do, please enjoy the adventures of Frisk through their final voyage of the No Mercy Run, and their journey to the very beginning.

The sound of footprints echoed through the empty corridor of New Home. The right half of the hall sparkled with the brightest of light coming from the stained glass. Whether it was artificial or not, it symbolized purity; the final drop of hope that remained in the Underground. On this half of the hallway, a skeleton bearing a crummy hoodie and a threadbare scarf stood. Flickers of blue magic wisped out from underneath the protection of his jacket.

He was the one who would judge the incoming guest.

The left half of the hall hid in total darkness, a chaotic scene blooming forth from its shadows. The pillars that loomed overhead blocked the light from the golden glass. Down the stairs shrouded in said darkness came the cursed child. Their hands basked in the dust of the victims who they murdered. Their pupils were the size of beads and their irises the color of blood.

The skeleton had seen this face many times before. He got used to it now.

The child staggered about, showing that they were ready for another round against the skeleton, but something was...off. The child’s face fought against two emotions; madness and desperation. The skeleton ignored this, though. The human killed almost everyone in the Underground. He was not interested in showing any mercy.

The child stopped once they reached the fifth pillar. Their grip on their dusty knife tightened, but their hand shook fiercely.

The skeleton never saw their hand quake so heavily before. Whenever the human came back, their grasp on their notorious blade was strong and their smile was twisted. The skeleton tried to push this fact away, but he stored it in the deepest parts of his mind.

He would have to wait and see what the human would try this time.

“Back again, huh?” asked the skeleton. His left eye flared with a burst of blue magic. The human bit their lip.

“I’m gonna skip the whole 'judgement' shtick. I mean, isn’t this your...378th try?” teased the skeleton. "Actually, I'm just makin' that up. I don't know how many times we've been fighting." His expression darkened.  "Too long to count."

The human grit their teeth. Their hand wobbled as they brought the knife close to their chest as an act of defense. 

“Got nothin’ to say, huh? That’s alright, you’ll be dead again before you know it,” said the skeleton with a wink.

The human glared at the monster with a terrifying ferocity. They charged at the him with full power, but they were thrown to the ground by the magic. Their once red soul glimmered blue. They dug their hands into the ground and screamed like a banshee, their cries reverberatingg throughout the hall. They pulled on the ends of their hair, as if they were trying to rip out the hysteria that lingered inside their soul.

“No! I won’t do this!” cried the human. Their nails dug deeper into their hair and let out a horrible wail.

Now _this_ was new. The skeleton never saw the child show so much emotion before. From what the scientist showed him, the child just killed. Not even a single tear was shed when they murdered their friends that they knew before.

But now? Why was the child portraying emotion _now?_

The human turned their stare back to the skeleton. They sped towards him, the knife nearly touching his neck. He gasped quietly and jumped out of the weapon’s direction.

“Just stay _still!”_   shouted the human. “No, don’t!”

The human talked as if they shared a body with another being. The skeleton’s anger flooded over with confusion.

Something disturbing was happening inside the human's head, and it wasn't pretty.

The skeleton couldn’t bare to see this act go on any longer. He was exhausted. Even the human was. The dark circles under their eyes was proof to show.

“Kid, I don’t wanna keep fighting and I know you don’t want to either,” said the skeleton, wearily. “So, just let me finish this and...and don’t come back, okay?” He raised up his left arm. With a snap of his thumb, a Gasterblaster formed out of thin air.

“Trust me, it’ll be easy to do,” he whispered. He waved his hand to the right, and with ease, the Gasterblaster let out a deadly laser.

The child’s eyes widened. It puzzled the skeleton so. This freak of a human had seen his Gasterblasters before. Why were they shocked by the appearance of them now?

The laser enveloped the child. A bloodcurdling scream escaped from their mouth.

 _That_ was a surprise, too. Usually, the human died silently, yet there they were, showing emotion. This _entire_ fight was bizarre.

The skeleton turned his back to the child who slowly turned to a crisp in the laser. A single tear weaved its way down his skull from his right eye socket.

This human was his friend in another life. It pained him to hear their cries.

The Gasterblaster’s light faded from the corridor as it closed its mouth and disappeared in thin air. The skeleton whirled back around, only to see the human kneeling. The attack _did_ manage to hurt the child, but it didn’t kill them.

Their determination was too powerful.

“Damn, kid, yreally _are_ strong,” said the skeleton with a bit of astonishment.

The human stood up on their shaking legs, but a new detail had surfaced within them; their eyes weren’t the same as the murderer he faced many times before. They resembled those of the friend he met in another timeline, the life where they befriended everyone and managed to free the monsters from the clutches of the Underground.

“S-Sans…” wheezed the human, “I-I won’t…bother you anymore.” They looked at the knife in their hand. Tears broke out of their eyes.

This terrible, terrible human was _crying._

The skeleton gave a worried look to the human. “Kid, wh-what are you talking about?” 

The human rose the knife high into the air. They turned their gaze back to the skeleton.

“I’m...I’m sorry."

The skeleton realized what the child was about to do.

“No, kid! Wait!” he cried, rushing towards them. 

The sound of metal plunging into human flesh filled the air. The child’s eyes rolled into the back of their head as they tumbled to the ground. A pool of blood poured out from the wound.

The sight took the skeleton’s determination away.


	2. Explanations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A familiar, flowery friend pops by to explain what was going on inside Frisk's head.

Sans couldn’t comprehend what he just witnessed. That thing who killed his brother wasn’t Frisk. That thing who tore Undyne to shreds wasn’t Frisk. That thing who encountered him in the very hall that he stood in wasn’t Frisk.

Frisk was the friend who laughed at Sans’ stupid jokes. Frisk was the determined human who led the monsters to freedom. Frisk was the understanding child who talked some sense into that flower that imprisoned him and his friends in another timeline.

But then again, Frisk was the kid who just committed suicide.

No wonder they were showing emotion. Sans got the feeling that Frisk was possessed, but by what? That was such a sudden conclusion to jump to.

He ignored the thoughts and knelt down by the human. He watched the blood drip out of their mouth and their dusty fingers overlap the pool of blood. Their once trusty knife still protruded in their chest like a lurid thorn on a rose. Sans carefully pulled out the weapon and threw it to the side. He scooped Frisk into his arms and cradled them.

“Shit, kid. I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” he mourned. “I should’ve known it wasn’t you.”

The Frisk Sans knew would have _never_ enacted the sins in this timeline, but he was too ignorant to realize that.

The possession thought was still reasonable, though. In the previous battles, Frisk was merciless, but in the other timeline, they would gladly run away.

What happened when this timeline began?

What made Frisk kill everyone?

“Howdy!” interrupted a voice.

Sans jumped a little bit. He heard that voice in the previous timeline. That sickening, over-the-top voice made him want to chuck its owner across the room.

Sans’ eye flared with magic. He gently sat Frisk on the ground and stood up. He turned around to see a lively, golden flower that he had met countless times before.

“Howdy there, Sans!” exclaimed the plant, placing his disc of a face on his leaves. “You remember your old pal?” He giggled. “It’s me, Flowey! Flowey the Flower.”

Sans grit his teeth as his hand flared with blue magic. "Might wanna leave, kid. You're on my to-kill list."

“Same to you, friend,” countered Flowey, grinning. “I was planning on telling you things that seemed important, but it looks like you don’t need my help! Too busy crying over something _you_ could've stopped a while ago!”

Sans lowered his hand, both his magic and anger fading away.

He was either the biggest fool in the world or he the most courageous person to be trusting this demon of a flower.

“If you pull anything right now, I’ll crush you like a weed,” growled Sans, trying to keep his plastered smile on his face.

“Well, I’m glad we can come to an agreement!” replied Flowey. He flashed a crooked, ominous grin. “I’ll do the same to you, too, _pal.”_ His smile fell as helook over at Frisk’s cold body. He shivered at the sight. “Wow...you really did a number on them, didn’t you?”

Sans turned his head to Frisk. “No, they did that to themself.”

Flowey inched back a bit. “I-I didn’t expect that.”

“No one did.”

A moment of silence passed by. Flowey cleared his throat.

“W-Well anyway, I’ll tell you what happened to Frisk,” he spoke.

This caught Sans’ attention. He focused on Flowey, his eye still flickering with blue magic. “Why are you telling _me_  this?”

”Because you’re the only one who will listen,” said Flowey, dryly. “That dumb scientist back in Hotland would be too spooked by me to even care, and that stupid, _stupid_  fool of a king would just offer me a cup of tea instead.”

Sans pushed the flower’s degrading statements towards his friends aside and sighed. “Fine.” He crossed his arms. “So, why did Frisk decide to do all of this crazy shit?”

Flowey took a gulp before answering.

“One word: _Chara."_

Sans shuddered for some reason. He never heard this name before, but it brought some fear into him.

“Whi is Chara?” he asked, hesitantly.

“My friend,” answered Flowey, staring at the floor. He glanced at Sans and laughed. "Sorry, I forgot how little you guys know about them. You could say they were the first human to fall down.”

That blunt mention of the first human brought back some memories into Sans’ mind; he remembered some kind of assembly that was held at the capital so long ago. He remembered sitting up on his father’s shoulders and catching a glimpse of the king and queen, dressed in elegant royal attire. Sitting on _their_ shoulders were Prince Asriel Dreemurr and a child that resembled Frisk, except their hair was the color of dark chocolate and they wore a green sweater. He never knew what a human looked like until his father explained to him afterwards. He didn’t remember much of that say, but he _did_ remember the tragedy of Asriel and the mysterious human dying on the same night. He was only six then, while Papyrus was just a baby. He even recalled the time of his father taking a trip to the capital to comfort the King about the tragic news.

Too many memories with too much sorrow...

“So, Chara was friends with Prince Asriel?” asked Sans, raising his brow bone. Flowey nodded his head. “But why would Chara want Frisk? What does Frisk have that they want?”

Flowey sighed. “Chara…wasn’t good at handling their emotions. Of course, that doesn't really explain  _much,_  but it's probably a factor. They probably got bored or something, you know? Maybe they wanted to try something new.

"Like killing people."

Sans’ imaginary heart skipped a beat. Because Chara’s sheer boredom and desire to have a taste of originality, Frisk was forced to murder.

How could someone do something _that_ cruel?

“Then, how did that affect Frisk?” questioned Sans.

Flowey slumped. “Well, Frisk was the final human to come down here. Like I said, Chara wanted something new, and Frisk was the only thing they could get their hands on.” He averted his stare. “If...if you knew what happened to Chara before they fell down here, it’d probably make sense as to why they did what they did. I mean, their village practically used them as a punching bag.” He chuckled as he looked back at Sans with a weak smile. “Funny, isn’t it? Humans still didn’t change after the war.”

Sans frowned slightly. He sighed and rolled his hand around in a circle. “I-I don’t wanna sound rude for interrupting, but what does Frisk have in this whole Chara thing?”

”Oh...right,” said Flowey, quietly. He shook his head. “After the night when As...Asriel and Chara died, I guess Chara’s soul still lingered around. They must have found Frisk, took possession of their soul, and wanted to get revenge out somehow, but you see how _that_ turned out.” He nodded his head towards Frisk's corpse.

Sans craned his neck to see Frisk’s lifeless body. He shivered slightly and turned his gaze back to Flowey. “So, you’re telling me that because Chara was...was hurt on the surface that they developed a hunger for control? And when they died, that hunger grew and lead up to possessing Frisk?”

Flowey shrugged. "That’s just my take on things, pal. You’d have to ask them if you wanted to know the real truth. _"_

Sans glanced at Frisk's corpse and leaned down to them. He pushed their hair back behind their ear. "I don't wanna leave them dead, though."

“We’ll just have to see if Chara’s going to punish Frisk for killing themself,” said Flowey with a melancholic smile.

And without another word and a dive into the ground, Flowey ran away.

Sans picked up Frisk and started walking to the end of the corridor. “Sorry kid, but at least you’ll be of some use now..."


	3. Stuck Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But nobody came. Boy! What a shame!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting two chapters in the same day? WHAAAAAT?!  
> Just kidding. I couldn't wait for tomorrow to post this, so here you go. Besides, you guys want to find out where Frisk is, don't you?  
> Listen to this while you're reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4-Hy4Uhhss&index=1&list=PLhKnzaOo00mAbk5WiLd1W-uOTCiL2mlHB
> 
> EDIT IN 2017: Howdy, my pals. Happy 2017! It's been a while since I've come back to this fic, and I'm still very proud. I may have stopped writing UT fics for the time being, but I have two ideas for short stories later on. If you want to hear about UF!Zera (my oc) or Genesis and Aria's first meeting from OSS, send me a message on Tumblr @nochild! If it gets enough hype, then I'll probably post them! Anyways, I'm currently editing Tales of the Surface Children, OSS, and this fic because I realized how shitty my writing is, so feel free to reread them! One of my goals this year is to proof-read my shit anyhow before posting them lmao. As always, kudos, comments, and bookmarks appreciated.

Frisk slowly opened their eyes, a shining light from above greeting them. They looked below them and saw that they had slept on a bed of golden flowers. Their eyes widened in surprise as they scrambled to their feet and looked around.

Everything in the area they stood in brought back bits of nostalgia; broken pillars loomed over the emerald green grass, vines reached up towards the hole in the sky, and flowers— _especially_ the flowers—danced in the sun’s golden rays.

Frisk realized they were at the entrance to the Ruins.

If Frisk ended back here, then the timeline must have reset. They could fix everything they did! They could spare Toriel, befriend Papyrus and Undyne, and help Alphys! They could do everything right again.

Frisk cupped their hands over their mouth and shouted, “Toriel!” They waited for a moment, but nobody showed up. They shouted her name again, only to be greeted by silence.

From what Frisk remembered, Toriel said that she came over to the bed of flowers everyday to see if anyone had fallen down. But where was she? Surely she wouldn’t have forgotten to check.

Frisk called for Toriel one more time. Nothing.

“You called for help…” spoke a dry, cold voice. Frisk felt a cold breeze pass by them.

“B҉u҉t҉ n҉o҉b҉o҉d҉y҉ c҉a҉m҉e҉.”

Frisk whirled around to see a child about the same age as them holding the rusty knife they used to murder the innocent monsters of the Underground. They dodged their incoming attack with the dreadful weapon and crashed towards the ground.

The child ran up to the lying Frisk and tackled them. They smiled wickedly as they brought the knife closer to Frisk’s neck.

“We made a _deal,”_  they snapped.

Frisk felt a bead of sweat dribble down their forehead. “B-But I couldn’t do it anymore, Chara! I was done fighting Sans. I was done fighting _everyone.”_

“I gave you so many chances, and _this_ is how you treat me? You should be listening to me, not disobeying!” shouted Chara.

Before they could attack again, Frisk grabbed Chara’s wrist and pushed upward. While they were distracted, Frisk snatched the knife out of the child’s grasp and threw it into the darkness that bordered the cavern. They threw Chara off of them and hopped back to their feet.

Chara glared at Frisk with fury. They charged for them as they screamed, but Frisk stopped them by holding onto their shoulders, pushing the force back.

“I won’t fight you!” cried Frisk.

Chara tried to scratch at Frisk’s face and continued to escape from their grip, but they began to slow down. Soon, they collapsed to the ground out of exhaustion and frowned. Frisk knelt down beside them and patted their back in comfort.

“I hate you,” mumbled Chara.

“No need for hate,” said Frisk with a warm smile.

Chara threw the merciful child’s hand away from them and stood up. They glowered at them, but Frisk’s friendly gaze quickly brought their glare down.

“I know you didn’t want to hurt anyone,” spoke Frisk. They stood up and locked eyes with Chara. “I...I know you liked everyone we met. You don’t have to hide it.”

Well, Frisk wasn’t wrong; Chara _did_ enjoy everyone. Toriel was the best mother they ever had, Sans and Papyrus knew how to make people laugh, Undyne and Alphys had their humor come to them by acting like the starstruck lovers they were, and Asgore was simply kind. Chara grew even more fond of them as Frisk traveled through the Underground, but the thought of having to face humanity again made Chara make Frisk reset. And then the deal was struck:

If Frisk got out of the Underground without having to feel the love they once felt towards their family of monsters, Chara would be able to get revenge on the humans.

Frisk was oblivious to Chara's plan in the first place. Chara persuaded them that they'd get a "happy ending" as long as Frisk shared their soul with them. Of course, that didn't work out well in the end.

“I guess…” said Chara, finally.  “But why did you have to kill yourself? We could’ve just reset."

Frisk didn’t say anything for a moment, but then found the right words.

“Because I wanted to teach you how precious lives are."

Chara gawked at Frisk, shocked by how much hope they still had towards them. They forced Frisk to murder innocents, yet after all of this, there was still a sliver of trust.

“Well, you managed to teach me something, then,” grumbled Chara.

Frisk looked at them in surprise. “You mean...you’re actually going to try to change?”

Chara gingerly nodded their head. “I can’t keep up this grudge forever, even in death.”

Frisk smiled and patted the child on the head. “I knew you wanted to change.”

Chara managed a smile. It felt good to forget those regrets they had ever since they fell into the Underground.

Frisk helped Chara stand up. As the two scanned the area, vivid memories of their underground home rushed through their head. They wanted to embrace them, but confusion was banging on their heads. Bittersweet memories would have to wait for another day.

“Did you reset after I died?” asked Frisk as they looked around. Chara shook their head.

“There was no point after I figured out what you did,” answered Chara. 

“Then what are we supposed to do now?”

Chara looked at Frisk, their eyes glossy with tears. “I can’t move on if my friends aren’t alive. Toriel, Papyrus, Undyne, Mettaton… _everyone._  They need to live a good life,” they whimpered.

Chara bit their lower lip. “I-I don’t know. I don’t even know where _we_ are."

“There’s gotta be something that we can do to get them back,” said Frisk, their voice shaking.

“Let’s just walk ahead first. We’ll see what we can find,” reassured Chara. They grabbed Frisk’s hand and began walking forward.

As the two children walked closer to the entrance into the Ruins, they noticed that the dark borders were edging closer to them. Chara ignored this, though Frisk kept an eye on it.

Something about the eerie darkness didn’t seem right.

Chara and Frisk reached the entrance and tried to walk through the gateway, but found themselves only an inch through.

“W-What’s going on?” asked Frisk, frightened. Chara released their grip on Frisk and stuck their hand into the black void. The black mass felt like pancake batter; it was somewhat thick, but Chara could easily move their hand around in it.

“It’s a border,” said Chara. They pulled their hand out of the mass. “So we _aren’t_ in the Ruins. It’s like purgatory; we see where we get sent to now that we’re dead.” Chara turned around to face Frisk. Their eyes were filled with sadness.

“Should we…reset?” asked Frisk.

Chara sighed. “That’s the only option."

With a swipe of their hand, the reset button appeared before their eyes. Frisk and Chara’s hands hovered over the button, ready to change the timeline.

“Ready?” asked Chara. Frisk solemnly nodded their head. At the same time, the children pressed the button.

But it refused.

Chara looked at the button with disbelief. They pressed it again, but nothing happened. They kept pressing it with more force each time, but the button refused to work. Chara swiped the button away and screamed through their teeth.

“Great! Now we’ll be stuck in here forever!” they cried. They kicked at the nearby flowers, releasing their anger. Frisk stood by, trying to process what was going on. The reset button usually worked for them, but why wasn’t it working now?

Was it Frisk’s determination to live that was blocking the way?

Frisk walked over to Chara, placing their hand on their back. “Chara, we need to calm down. Kicking flowers isn’t going to help."

Chara was in mid-motion of kicking the plants. They lowered their foot and faced Frisk. “Then what are we supposed to do now?”

Frisk sat down and crossed their legs. “We wait for whatever comes to us,” they said, restraining their worry. Chara mumbled some curse words and sat down beside Frisk.

“You sound like May,” said Chara, placing their head on their hands.

“Who's May?” asked Frisk, intrigued by this new name.

“May was-” began Chara, but before they could finish their sentence, the whole room began to rumble. Chara and Frisk stood up and held onto each other. The room was being swallowed up by the black void. The blackness reached the children’s feet. The two kids called for help.

But nobody came.


	4. The Final Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A skeleton, a goat monster, and a lizard meet to make final arrangements.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this is the last chapter I'm posting for tonight. Chapter 5 will be up tomorrow.

Sans carried Frisk’s limp body through the castle corridors. Blood was still leaking from the gaping hole in their chest.

A tang of guilt formed in Sans. He never wanted to meet Frisk at the end of the Judgement Hall with a fight. But then again, it wasn’t Frisk’s fault. From what Flowey told him, it was Chara’s.

Sans reached the entrance into the throne room. He took a deep breath and walked inside.

The sound of whistling reached Sans’ invisible ears. There, he saw King Asgore Dreemur, watering the golden flowers that surrounded his gallant throne. The stained glass made another appearance, light shining through, glittering with a variety of colors. Serenity could be found here in the quietude of the throne room.

“Oh, is someone here?” asked Asgore as he was occupied with watering his flowers. “I will be there shortly!” He finished the remaining flower patch and sat his watering can on the ground. He brushed off his cloak and turned around.

“Howdy! How can I-” started Asgore. He lightly gasped and took a small step back. He wasn’t expecting to see a dead human in the arms of a skeleton that day.

“Sorry to interrupt, King Asgore. But I, uh, have something for you,” said Sans, awkwardly. He walked closer to the king and sat Frisk on the bed of flowers. Asgore closed his mouth and walked forward. He looked down at the fallen child, and then at Sans.

“You are a sentry in Snowdin, correct?” he questioned. Sans nodded his head.

“I actually did my job for once,” replied the skeleton, scratching the back of his neck. Asgore resumed looking at Frisk’s body.

“I-I  didn’t expect one to...arrive so soon. Undyne told me about one roaming around, but I haven’t heard from her since,” said Asgore, quietly.

Sans wanted to tell Asgore everything; how his brother turned to dust in front of his eyes, how Undyne was stabbed a million times, how Alphys mentioned committing suicide since she couldn’t bare to see her friends die anymore, but he would find out soon enough.

“How did you...defeat them?” asked Asgore, looking up at Sans. He sighed.

“Poor kid committed suicide,” answered Sans, tucking his hands into the safety of his hoodie. A moment of silence passed by.

“In all of my years of seeing brave children come to me, I have never heard of a child do such a thing," said Asgore, breaking the silence.

Once again, Sans wanted to tell Asgore that he did know someone who was suicidal, but he kept his mouth shut.

“I-I'm sorry. I am shocked by all of this. To be quite honest, I didn’t expect anyone to capture a human,” said Asgore.

“It's experience from the war, isn't it?” asked Sans. Asgore nodded his head.

“Yes. I'm sure anyone could tell you that who was a part of the war,” he spoke, softly.

Sans’ father neglected to mention that he was part of the war. Occasionally, he would tell Sans and Papyrus war stories, but that was it. Back then, Sans assumed that his father forgot about half of them, but now he realized that the war was painful for all of the survivors, and that none of them could even bare to remember. Even Asgore shielded himself from any talk about the war.

“Well, it’s best that we extract their soul from their body. Would you mind calling Alphys for me? We’ll need her help,” asked Asgore. Sans nodded his head. He fished out his phone and punched in the numbers for Alphys’ phone number.

* * *

The computer screen showed footage of all of the Underground. From the Ruins to Hotland, everything was silent.

She had seen everything; a loving brother turn to dust, her lover try to hang onto the rope of life, but fail, and her dear friend explode like a supernova. Everyone she loved was dead.

And the only person she could talk to was probably deceased as well. He marched off after he told her about how he saw his brother die in front of him. She tried to stop him, but there was no point in trying to calm him down.

She wanted to keep hoping that all of her friends weren’t dead, and that she was in a bad dream, but reality’s horrible twists were too strong for her to think like that.

Her cellphone ringing slapped her out of her misery.

She wiped her puffy eyes and put on her circular glasses. Her vision cleared, and she saw the contact that was calling. She almost fell out of her chair. She snatched her phone and pressed the answer button. She held the phone up to her ear.

“Sans! A-Are you okay! Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I should’ve help. I’m-” she cried.

“Alphys, it’s okay. I’m alright. I handled it,” said Sans. Alphys let out a sigh of relief. Happy tears dripped out from her eyes.

“I-I thought you were…” started Alphys.

“Dead? Nope, but the kid is,” finished Sans.

Alphys’ mouth opened wide. “What?”

“The kid...the kid killed themself.”

Alphys slumped back into her chair. This freak murdered almost everyone in the Underground, but she never expected them to go as far as committing suicide. Beforehand, Alphys almost thought of killing _herself_ after she saw Undyne die at the hands of the human, but Sans was there to talk her out of it. It didn’t get better, though. After Mettaton was ripped to pieces, she just stared blankly at the monitor for an hour.

“Wow,” is all Alphys could say. Her words were taken away from her. “I-I really didn't expect that to happen...but at l-least it means we're almost fr-free.”

“Yeah, and Asgore needs you to get the soul out of ‘em,” added Sans.

Alphys looked over at a machine that was draped with a white blanket. It had been awhile since that thing was used. The previous Royal Scientist probably had more of a vast knowledge about the machine than she did, but at least she knew how to work it. She turned her gaze back to the monitor.

“O-Okay. Br-Bring them over,” said Alphys.

“Will do,” said Sans. _Click_.

Alphys placed her phone down on her desk. She heavily sighed and threw on her lab coat. She walked over to the machine and placed her hand on the white cloth.

“Here we are…” she whispered.

* * *

 Alphys awoke to the sound of the lab doors opening. She squeaked and threw on her glasses. She prayed that no one saw her. She walked over to the entrance of the lab to find Asgore and Sans, who was carrying the dead human.

“Howdy, Alphys,” said Asgore, managing a joyful greeting in a time like this.

“H-Hi, Asgore,” welcomed Alphys. Sans appeared behind Asgore. Alphys, intrigued by the human, walked closer to him. She saw the bloody hole in the middle of the child’s chest and covered her mouth, baffled by their appearance.

“Oh my God…” she said, turning her head away. Sans closed his eyes.

“I know,” he whispered, trying to contain his sadness. Alphys regained her courage and turned back to the skeleton.

“I’ve g-got the machine hooked up, so whenever y-you guys are ready, we can begin,” said Alphys. She trotted over to the machine, which was now unveiled from the sheet.

The machine was similar to a cat scan, except a giant tube let out from the bed part of the machine to a glass case that trapped the soul. The machine was lit up with neon green lights, indicating that it was ready for use.

“P-Place the human on th-the bed,” said Alphys to Sans.

Sans walked over to the machine and placed Frisk onto the bed-like structure. He brushed the strands of hair out of their face one, last time. He shut the opening part of the machine and walked away.

“Alright, Al. The human’s in there,” said Sans.

Alphys walked over to a control panel that was attached to the machine. She typed in commands, causing a blue button to light up beside the control panel. She glanced over at Sans and Asgore.

“I-Is everyone ready?” asked Alphys. The two monsters nodded their heads. Alphys turned back to the button. With a shaking finger, she pressed the button.

The machine roared to life. Lights were flickering on and off. The large tube began to suck up the red soul that was once Frisk’s. In a blur of motion, it swam its way through the tube and into the glass case. Once the process was done, the opening lid opened up, revealing Frisk’s face, lips blue and face pale. As Alphys walked over to the soul, Sans walked over to Frisk.

Alphys tinkered with the glass case for a moment and plucked it from its pedestal. She handed the case to Asgore.

“Y-You aren’t _really_ planning on fusing with those souls, are you, A-Asgore?” asked Alphys, twiddling her thumbs. “I-It’s dangerous.”

Asgore’s grip on the glass case tightened. “I’m doing this for not only us, Alphys, but for Asriel and Chara as well." He twirled around and headed for the entrance.

Alphys and Sans exchanged glances of worry. “I-I can’t believe he’s d-doing this,” she whimpered, touching her forehead.

Sans pulled Frisk out of the machine and began walking towards the exit. Alphys noticed and was about to protest, but Sans stopped her.

“There’s a lot of things you don’t know ‘bout this kid, Al. They need a proper burial,” countered Sans, the dots of white in his eye sockets dimming. Alphys closed her mouth and nodded her head. The two of them left the lab, catching up to Asgore.


	5. Save

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Frisk and Chara are trying to figure out what's going on, Asgore is trying to become god.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I say that I was going to post Chapter 5 until tomorrow? Because I lied.  
> I couldn't wait, guys. I really wanted to end off the day by posting Chapter 5, so tomorrow, expect to see Chapter 6 and maybe Chapter 7.  
> ALSO, there is a music suggestion, but it's not until later in the chapter. I made a note in the chapter when to listen to it, so you'll be able to find it. All you have to do is copy and paste the chapter into the URL and it will bring you right to the music. Anyways, enjoy the chapter.

Frisk woke up with a start. Their palms were clammy and their mouth was chapped. What happened back in the faux Ruins? Did something happen to their soul while they talked to Chara?

Of course. It was so obvious; their soul was extracted from them for use to break the barrier.

That wasn’t important to Frisk right now, though. They were already dead, so they didn’t care where their soul was going. Frisk needed to find out where they were.

But to do that, they needed to find Chara in the void that they were currently in.

Frisk quickly got back onto their feet. “Chara!” they shouted. Their voice echoed for a couple rounds, but it slowly faded back into the black mist that they were standing in.

Suddenly, a voice called back.

“Frisk!”

Frisk gasped and ran towards the voice. “I’m coming, Chara!” They pushed through the void as they kept calling out to Chara, who replied back after every sentence. A minute later, Frisk found Chara, searching for them wildly.

“Chara!” exclaimed Frisk. Chara whirled around, relieved to see that their friend had found them.

“Are you okay?” asked Frisk.

“I-I think so. I’m just trying to figure out where we are,” replied Chara. Now, Frisk was able to pay close attention to their whereabouts.

It was simply just the void. Everything was pure black. Although Frisk could clearly see the colors of Chara’s body, the entire area they were in was darkness.

“I’ve been dead for a very long time, yet I’ve never been in a place like _this_ ,” said Chara, dumbfounded. The two children looked around in the emptiness, full of panic and dubiety.

“I think my soul was extracted, Chara,” said Frisk, breaking the silence.

Chara looked at them, their eyebrows furrowed in doubt. “What are you talking about?” 

“Asgore must’ve extracted my soul from my body. You were sharing my soul and body, so that’s why both of us disappeared from that place you call ‘purgatory,’” explained Frisk.

It made sense to Chara a bit. They never had to feel the process of being ripped from their own existence. They experienced fusion with Asriel, but not being torn apart from their soul and body.

“So, they’re going to use your soul to open the barrier?” asked Chara. Frisk nodded their head. Chara turned their gaze to the floor, if there was even a floor in the void.

“Asgore’s going to use all of those souls and fuse with them, I hope you know,” remarked Chara, darkly.

Frisk didn’t know a lot about the basics of monster and human fusion. The stone tablets in Waterfall gave a bleak understanding about it, but it wasn’t a reliable source.

“Frisk, we’ve got to stop him. He could _die_ ,” said Chara, now filled with anxiety. “I don’t want him to end up like Asriel and me.”

Frisk cared deeply for Asgore. In another timeline, he _never_ wanted to kill Frisk. He didn’t want to kill _anybody_. He kept trying to delay Frisk from fighting him. He never wanted to start a war, he just wanted his children back.

He just wanted his homeland back for the sake of his people's hopes and dreams.

“Okay, but how do we do that? The reset button doesn’t work anymore, so what now?” asked Frisk.

Chara’s face fell. They descended to the ground. Tears welled up in their eyes. They were lost. They didn’t know what to do.

“I don’t know. I should have never done anything stupid. I should’ve just moved on,” said Chara, tears falling out from their maroon-colored eyes. They began to sob, covering their face within their hands. Frisk sat down beside them and wrapped them into a hug.

“I-I just want to see Mom, Dad, a-and Asriel again,” sobbed Chara.

Frisk was out of words. They’ve been able to calm down a majority of the monsters who fought them, but Chara? They never experienced what Chara did, so they couldn’t say annoying phrases like, “I understand,” or, “You’re not alone.” Frisk kept their mouth shut, allowing Chara to let out their feelings.

Chara’s sobs soon turned into hiccups, and their hiccups into quiet breathing. “Are you okay now?” asked Frisk.

Chara nodded their head, wiping their tears from their maroon eyes. Frisk helped them stand up. The two were once again staring into the emptiness of the void.

“I just want to live again,” murmured Chara, solemnly.

“Me too,” agreed Frisk. “I just want to see Toriel, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, and Asgore again…”

Without warning, the entire room began to shake. Frisk and Chara immediately held onto each other. A loud pinging noise could be heard.

“Not again!” cried Chara. The whole room faded into a heavenly white glow. Frisk and Chara had to shield their eyes from the bright light.

A single, red soul came into view. Frisk recognized this soul. Who wouldn’t have recognized it if it was their own?

But it didn’t end at that; a light blue and an orange soul appeared, circling around Frisk’s (and now Chara’s) soul. Frisk and Chara looked at the souls with curiosity and wonderment. Even Chara, who has seen the six humans fall into the Underground, was amazed by this bolt-from-the-blue.

The blue, purple, green, and yellow souls came into view like twinkling stars. The six began circled Frisk’s soul rapidly, their colors only becoming a blur.

But what happened next was truly a surprise; the six human souls fused with Frisk’s.

The room was consumed by a colorful light. The two children screamed in fright, holding on to each other like life ropes.  The room dissolved in the colorful light, taking Frisk and Chara into the unknown.

* * *

 Sans, Alphys, and Asgore arrived at the back of the throne room. This day would be the day where monster kind would be free from the Underground, but it would also be the day King Asgore would become a god, risking his life in the process.

Sans placed Frisk’s body on the patches of golden flowers. He stuck the flowers into the human’s hair and on their chest, covering up the bloody wound. Now that he knew that Frisk wasn’t murdering all of those people on purpose, he felt as if he needed to make sure Frisk had a peaceful sleep on a bed of golden flowers.

Alphys was trying her best to talk Asgore out of fusing with the souls. “W-We _need_ you, A-Asgore! If you f-fuse with those souls, y-you could _die!"_ she cried.

Asgore looked down at Alphys and managed a smile. “But at least you all will be free."

He turned his back on Alphys and went into the other room. Alphys calmed herself down and looked over at Sans. “A-Are you coming?” she asked.

Sans looked at her and nodded his head. Alphys ran after Asgore, carrying the human soul container with her.

Sans stood up and took one last look at Frisk. They looked peaceful, as if they were sleeping and having a wonderful dream. Sans started to get emotional, but walked into the other room to stop himself.

Sans arrived at the magical barrier, the black slowly fading into white. Alphys had already brought up the other soul containers. Asgore stared at the barrier, determined to let his people go. 

Alphys attached the human soul container into another pedestal. All she had to do now was to press the main button on one of the containers, and all of them would be set free.

“Okay, Asgore. A-All of the souls are r-ready. Y-You just have to make sure you catch them,” explained Alphys, her hand hovering over the main button on the newest container.

Asgore slowly nodded his head. “I am ready," he replied.

_(Play music now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD_yKzrR_cc )_

With a press of the button, Alphys released the seven human souls. They were lifted up into the air, one by one. Each soul floated into a V-shaped line. The monsters were stunned by their nature. They resembled fireflies, drifting in the night sky and mimicking stars.

Alphys gasped and shook herself out of her amazement. “Catch them now, Asgore!” she demanded. Asgore looked at Alphys with shock and ran for the souls.

But what they were doing stopped him in his tracks.

The souls circled around each other, accelerating after each round. Asgore backed up, mouth gaping open. Sans and Alphys exchanged looks of horror.

“What are they doing?” hollered Sans.

“I-I don’t know!” screamed Alphys. Why would the souls construct such a phenomenon? 

Oh wait. Sans knew why.

Frisk’s determination to live. That’s what was making the souls attracted to theirs, like a moth drawn to a flame.

Before Sans could tell his fellow monsters what was going on, the whole room was swallowed by a rainbow light.

 

*You are filled with a new kind of DETERMINATION.

>TRUE RESET


	6. Patience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk finds themself in a new body while Sans and Alphys find themselves baffled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GUYS ARE ENJOYING THIS FAN FICTION! THANK YOU SO MUCH!  
> Like, seriously; there's already 230 hits? Damn.  
> Anyways, while you're reading, listen to this SICK tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niavUFsZOnE&index=3&list=PLhKnzaOo00mAbk5WiLd1W-uOTCiL2mlHB

Once upon a time, a human fell into the Underground. They did not know where they were, but they were filled with  _patience._

* * *

 Frisk was numb. They didn’t know what happened back in the void when the human souls fused with theirs. Was it Frisk and Chara’s will to live that made them fuse like that? Or was it simply fate?

“Frisk, Frisk…” whispered a ghostly voice.

Frisk quickly opened their eyes and sat up straight. In front of them was a hazy Chara, faded as if they could disappear from this world.

“Chara, why do you look like that?” asked Frisk.

Chara looked down at their knees. “Oh, I don’t really know." They put their hands up in front of their face, examining the transparent appearance. They turned their gaze back to Frisk and slightly jumped. “But you should look at yourself, Frisk."

Frisk stood up and looked down, noticing the baby blue dress they sported. Their knee-high socks were somewhat dirty, but still looked presentable. They ran a hand through their clean hair and felt the silky surface of a red ribbon with pigtails at the side.

Frisk gasped at all of these changes. “What the-” They were too dazzled to finish their sentence.

“May…” whispered Chara.

“Chara, I...I think we went back in time. That flash we saw…we must’ve fused with the rest of the souls, and for some reason, it took us to the very beginning of the timeline!” exclaimed Frisk, staring wide-eyed at their friend. They blushed slightly. "Sorry. Sans would be better at explaining this than me. He’s into that anomaly stuff. ”

Chara floated around the room, touching the rocks of the cavern walls. Once again, the two were back at the start of the Ruins, excluding the black mass the hugged the edge of the room. “Well, that makes a lot of sense then,” they said. “If I’m supposed to be a ghost right now, then that means that I’m dead, and you’re supposed to resemble May’s soul.”

Frisk stood up and scratched their head. “None of this makes any sense."

They looked up at the hole above them, the moon embracing the grass with its light. The place looked less ancient when Frisk arrived here the first time; only one of the pillars were cracked and the vines were just making their climb up on some of the rocks. The child looked below them and noticed that the patch of dirt they were standing on was sprouting only a few golden flowers. But that wasn’t all; a toy knife was sitting by their feet. They picked it up and looked at it from all angles.

Frisk remembered seeing this on a balcony overlooking the Ruins. They decided not to pick it up during the first timeline, but when Chara possessed them, they were forced to murder monsters with it.

“Chara, I think you were just buried here,” hypothesized Frisk. Chara flew over and looked at the dirt. There was barely any grass or flowers on the mound.

“I think you’re right,” they agreed, focused on the dirt mound. They looked ahead where the gateway lied and exhaled heavily.

“We should be glad that Flowey isn’t a thing yet,”  confessed Chara.

“Wouldn’t he be just an idea to Alphys at this point?” asked Frisk. "Actually, would Alphys even _be_ the Royal Scientist in this part of time?"

"Some other Royal Scientist would be alive right now," explained Chara, frowning.

Frisk didn't know why, but they felt like Chara may have met the previous Royal Scientist before and disliked them greatly. Was there something Chara wasn't telling them? 

Chara floated towards the gateway, motioning for Frisk to follow. Frisk caught up to them and began walking through the similar tunnel they went through long ago.

As Frisk walked and Chara flew, Frisk clutched their chest.

Chara noticed and stopped. “What’s the matter?”

Frisk looked up at them with perplexed eyes. “I don’t feel determined for some reason.”

Chara gave them a warm smile. “Well, that’s because you have May’s soul. She was a patient person, so maybe you’re filled with that."

Frisk released their grasp on their dress and nodded their head.

Hearing those calming words from Chara filled them with patience.

The children ventured further into the tunnel. As they got closer to the exit, the sound of humming passed through their ears. Both of them stopped to listen.

“Do you hear that?” whispered Frisk. Chara slightly nodded their head. Their eyes beamed with happiness, recognizing the lovely voice.

“Come on! I know who it is!” exclaimed Chara. They flew up ahead, Frisk chasing after them.

At the end of the tunnel, Frisk spotted a goat-esque monster, dressed in purple and pearl white robes. The Delta Rune marked its place in the middle of the cloth. The monster was watering some golden flowers with a pastel pink watering can. Chara floated above her, smiling as tears dripped off of their chin.

“Mom…” spoke Chara, softly. They happily floated around the monster, twirling and laughing. The Dreemurr family brought great joy to Chara during the time they lived down in the Underground, including the family member they were dancing around.

Frisk nearly fell over when they saw the familiar monster. The robes, the protruding horns, everything about her was similar to that of their motherly guardian.

It was Toriel.

Frisk wanted to run into her arms and apologize for what they had done to her, but knowing that they were at the start of a new (or the same) timeline, Frisk had to pretend that they did not know her. It broke a little bit of their heart to lie to their adoptive mother who cared for them so much.

Frisk took a deep breath and quietly walked into the room, acting as if it was their first fall down. They quickly got Toriel’s attention, and she stopped humming. She looked up at Frisk with surprise. She sat her watering can down and brushed off her robes.

“A human..." whispered Toriel. She gasped slightly and shook her head. A smile formed across her face, welcoming and warm. "Greetings, my child. I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. It has been a while since a human has fallen down here. What is your name?”

Frisk licked their lips, not knowing what to say. They glanced at Chara, who was floating towards them.

“Say, ‘May.’ We don’t want to mess this timeline up,” commanded Chara, somewhat cold.

Frisk looked back at Toriel. “My name is May,” they said, following Chara's directions.

Toriel clasped her hands together, maroon eyes twinkling with love. “What a beautiful name, my child." She began walking towards the entrance of the Ruins.

“Come, my child. I will escort you through the catacombs,” said Toriel, indicating Frisk to follow her. Frisk nodded their head and jogged after her. Chara exchanged glances of doubt with them.

Who knows what else had changed?

* * *

 

The whole room was quiet. The only thing Sans could hear was his own and another person’s breathing. He drowsily opened his eyes and moaned in pain. He touched the middle of his spine, locating the source of the injury. He didn’t feel any scars, but it felt like he was slammed against a wall a thousand times.

He looked around the area, noticing that he was still by the barrier. He looked to his left to see Alphys, lying on her stomach. Afraid that she had fallen down, Sans stood up and ran over to her. He knelt down beside her and shook her, trying to contain his fright.

“Alphys, Alphys," whispered Sans quickly, anxiety coursing through his soul. Alphys woke up with a start and screamed. She looked around with alarm, until she saw Sans. She giggled awkwardly.

“J-Jeez, Sans. Don’t scare me like that!” exclaimed Alphys, catching her breath.

Sans chuckled nervously. “Sorry ‘bout that. You looked like you fell down, though." He pushed the memories of watching monsters turn to dust in the back of his mind. It was too early to be thinking about the vague visions of _that_ time. 

The two of them stood up and looked around. Alphys searched the room with confusion. “Where’s Asgore?” she asked. She walked over to the borders of the barrier, becoming more worried as she scanned the area.

“Y-You don’t think he fused with the souls, d-do you?” she asked, squeezing her hands.

“Nah. There’s no way he could’ve. The barrier’s still closed,” said Sans, pointing to the barrier. Alphys looked up and touched her forehead.

“Oh, right,” she murmured, sheepishly.

Sans looked behind him and saw the gateway leading back into the throne room. “Maybe he went back inside,” he said, jutting a finger at the exit. Alphys looked up and waddled over to him.

“Let’s go check,” she said. The two monsters walked through the exit and entered the throne room.

Sans and Alphys peeked around the corner of the elegant room. There, they saw Asgore, watering his flowers like he did when Sans greeted him with Frisk. The two looked at each other with befuddlement.

“Why the hell would he be watering his flowers now?” muttered Sans. Asgore had always given off the calm, yet strong vibes to him, but watering flowers after trying to open the barrier? He couldn't believe that the king was  _that_ relaxed.

Alphys shrugged as an answer. She tip-toed from the corner and began walking towards the king, Sans following after her.

The two made it to the throne and hid behind it. Sans spied on the king as he supplied the fauna below his feet with nourishment. Surprisingly, he wasn’t whistling _or_ singing, just gazing at the floor, blank and devoid of emotion. He looked back at Alphys.

“What should we do?” asked Sans in a hushed voice.

Alphys wrapped her fingers around one another in thought. “Let’s just see what he does when we approach him,” she responded, softly.

Sans nodded his head in agreement. They slowly rose up and maneuvered their way to the king.

Even though their footsteps were quiet, King Asgore knew there was someone in the same room as him.

“Oh? Is someone here?” he asked, his voice now filled with soft happiness. He sat his watering can down. He twirled around to see Sans and Alphys. The two of them froze.

Asgore gave a hearty laugh. “Sans! It’s so good to see you!” He walked up to Sans and wrapped him in a giant hug. As Sans was suffocating, he gave Alphys a muddled look. She giggled.

Asgore released Sans from his grip. “I-It’s good to see you, too, Asgore,” said Sans with a chuckle. Asgore beamed and turned his gaze towards Alphys with kind eyes.

“And who might you be?” asked Asgore, placing Sans back to the ground. Before Alphys could speak, Sans quickly replied, “Oh, this is my friend, Alphys. Sh-She’s just tagging along.”

Asgore grinned. “Well, it’s good to see that you are making new friends." He shifted his gaze back to Sans. "Anyways, how is your father doing, Sans?”

“O-Oh, he’s doing fine," replied Sans, hiding his shock. He quickly changed the subject. "H-How many souls have you collected?" 

Asgore’s emotions slightly dropped as he looked over at his throne. “None yet, but hopefully...one will come down soon.”

Alphys nudged Sans and motioned for the exit with her head. Sans nodded and turned back to Asgore.

“Well, don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll find one soon. W-We’ll see ya later,” said Sans, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Asgore’s face lifted again.

“Thank you, Sans. Send your father my regards, alright?” said Asgore.

“I will,” promised Sans. The two monsters waved goodbye to the king as they exited the throne room. The second Asgore turned his back on them, they ran down the steps and through the judgement hall. They stopped to breathe when they arrived at the open hallway overlooking the capital.

“Wh-What is going on?” panted Sans. Alphys wiped the sweat away from her forehead and stood up, her eyes filled with worry.

“Sans,” started Alphys.

“I think we went back in time.”


	7. Lead the Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chara has a theory that might shine some light onto this whole phenomenon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Hello again, my dudes! Honestly, I can't believe you all got through this with my horrible writing? Honestly, teach me your secrets. Anyways, like I've mentioned before, I've been editing all three of my Undertale fics: AHH, TSC, and OSS. Feel free to read them again because my writing has improved immensely. OSS is probably going to take me 10x as long because it was SUCH a huge fic, but I'm determined!  
> Enjoy!

“And this is where you can rest, my child,” said Toriel as she pointed towards a comfy twin bed. She patted Frisk’s head as they glanced around their new room.

The thought of being wrapped in the cozy blankets filled them with patience. Sleepiness would soon come to them.

Toriel made her way to the door. “If you need anything, just ask me."

Frisk nodded their head. Toriel left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Frisk collapsed onto the bed and sighed. They obediently listened to Chara’s details about May, and mimicked what the second child would have done, but pretending to be someone else was exhausting.

Chara sat down by Frisk and gave them a thumbs-up. “You’re a pretty good actor."

Frisk grinned weakly. “You think so? Because I thought I failed it."

“If anything, you’ve made Toriel convince you that you have the patience, especially when you were waiting for her in that hallway,” said Chara, lying down on the bed.

Frisk remembered the first time that they fell into the Underground where Toriel asked them to wait in that accursed, long hallway until she came back to fetch them. Unfortunately, Frisk’s interest got the best of them, so they left the room and searched through the catacombs. But now that they had to act as May, they had to wait for Toriel for a boring ten minutes until she came back. At least Chara was there to keep them company.

“Did she do that to all of the kids?” asked Frisk, frowning.

Chara shook their head. “No. She only did that with May, probably because she was the first. But August, Iris, Eloise, Jacob, and Flint? Who knows what  _they_ did here."

Frisk rolled over onto their back, staring at the details of the room; the colorful patches on the comforter beamed with nostalgia. Dust was slowly collecting on the picture frame on the wooden dresser. Stuffed animals sat at the corner of the bed, their beads of eyes calling out for their lost owner.

“We need to get out of here soon,” mumbled Chara, snapping Frisk out of their trance.

“How come?” asked Frisk, a bit disappointed that Chara wanted to leave so soon.

Chara sat up, putting their arms behind them. “For some reason, I feel like you aren’t going to be May forever."

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that it’s probably going to be a cycle. You’ll end up being August, then Iris, and then all the way to Flint until you’ve passed through all of them. We might even be jumping through time as you become a new soul.”

“But why is this happening? You probably don’t have an answer, but why did we start back at the beginning when our soul fused with the others?”

Chara gleamed with pride. "I actually have a theory."

Frisk snatched a teddy bear from the toy box and held on to it, ready to hear Chara’s explanation.

“You and I are really determined. Determined to do _anything_ . We were determined to spare Toriel in the first timeline, we were determined to be friends with Undyne, and we were determined to save Asriel,” stated Chara. “And you and I were certainly ready to fix our mistakes in the previous timeline, so what if the other souls were… _attracted_ to our will to live and fused with us, giving us a second chance?”

What Chara said was much easier to process than how Sans could have explained it. During the first battle with Sans, he told Frisk about the timelines and process of saves while he was _fighting_. Chara was impressed, but Frisk couldn’t comprehend how he managed to do that whilst fighting a killer child.

“So, our determination made the other human souls help us do something similar to a true reset, like how they helped us fight Flowey?” asked Frisk, putting the parts together like a puzzle.

“Yeah! Exactly!” exclaimed Chara. “Now, once we leave the Ruins, you _should_ transform into August, and the timeline will change.”

“It’s like history in five seconds, except longer…if that makes any sense,” said Frisk, smiling.

Chara nodded their head, but suddenly fell onto their back and sighed. “But science aside, we _really_ should go. I want to fix our mistakes as soon as possible. I don't know how this soul change is going to work, but I don't want to stay stuck here forever."

Frisk nodded their head glumly. They sat up and walked to the door. “How are we going to do this?” they asked.

Chara tapped their chin as they thought. “Can you sneak past her? You and I already know the way out of the Ruins."

Frisk made a face of discomfort. “I don’t know if I like that idea. Wouldn’t it be better if we just waited? May is supposed to be a patient person. I think we should try to talk Toriel into leading us out."

Chara stared at Frisk for a while, trying to figure out if their plan would really work. Finally, they gave up.

“Alright, do what you want. But don’t be surprised if she doesn’t let you,” said Chara, crossing their arms. Frisk turned back around and opened the door. They closed the door behind them and walked towards the living room.

Toriel was sitting in her plush chair, comfortable and content. She was reading the book, _80 Extra Facts about Snails._ She noticed the child’s presence and smiled.

“Hello, May. Do you like your new room?” she asked, closing the book.

Frisk nodded their head. “It’s really cool,” they said, blushing. Toriel gave a motherly smile.

“That is good to hear, my child,” she spoke. Her eyes widened as she remembered her gift. “Oh, that’s right!” She paced over to the kitchen and brought out a piece of butterscotch cinnamon pie. She handed it to Frisk. Both of the children’s mouths were watering.

“Surprise! It is a butterscotch cinnamon pie!” exclaimed Toriel, clasping her hands together.

Frisk took the fork and drove a piece into the pie’s filling. They shoved the piece into their mouth. They felt the smooth texture of the filling glide across their tongue. More nostalgia flooded Frisk and Chara's memory at the sight of the pie. A warm, joyful feeling swam around in their chests.

“You’re lucky I’m a ghost, because I would’ve taken that piece for myself,” teased Chara.

“Thank you,” said Frisk, swallowing the piece.

“Anything for you, my child,” said Toriel, returning to her chair. “It is funny; when I asked you for your preference of either cinnamon or butterscotch, you said cinnamon. I do not know how, but it reminded me of an old friend. They liked both, but their preference for cinnamon was stronger.”

Frisk looked up at Chara with a bit of surprise, Chara making the same face. Did some of the knowledge from the previous timelines come into this Toriel’s mind?

Frisk finished their piece of pie quickly, for their hunger gnawed at their stomach as they traveled through the Ruins. They sat by the fire and listened to Toriel read off snail facts.

“This fact here says: ‘Some snails hibernate during the cold winters. They will cover themselves in their own mucus to stay moist during the dry seasons,’” repeated Toriel.

Chara sat down by Frisk, making a disgusted face. “I can’t believe you’re actually listening to these. Half of them are just about snails eating nasty stuff. We need to get out of here soon.”

Frisk walked over to the dining table and sat the porcelain plate down. Though Chara's command was rather harsh, they had a point; if they didn't get out of here soon, who knows what would happen to them? Would they become food to time or simply rot, hoping that the timeline would restart?

It had to be done. Frisk had waited quite enough.

Inhaling the strength to speak, Frisk strolled back to Toriel, determination mixing in with their patience.

“Is there anything I can do for you, my child?” asked Toriel, noticing Frisk's mixed expression.

Frisk gulped before speaking. Although they’ve done this before, they still felt guilty for leaving Toriel behind.

“I-I would like to go home…”

Toriel sat still, but then laughed in confusion. “But my child, this _is_ your home."

It is a shame that determination and patience is a good concoction for a child like Frisk. It is an unstoppable force.

“But I want to see what is beyond here,” protested Frisk in the most formal way that they could. It pained them to hurt their guardian like this.

Toriel stood up, now looking a bit menacing. She looked at the embers in the fireplace, her eyes reflecting the golden glow. “My child, do you know why we are trapped underground?” she questioned, darkly.

Frisk gingerly nodded their head. “Because you lost the war, so we forced you down here."

“And do you know what we need to break the barrier?”

“...seven human souls.”

Toriel leaned down to Frisk’s height, placing her paws on their shoulders, her threatening appearance melting into worry. “My child, if you leave this place, _he_ will kill you.

 _"Asgore_ will take your soul for use to break the barrier."

“But I can try and change him,” countered Frisk.

Toriel was startled by Frisk’s response. She tilted her head downward, keeping in her emotions. “You _are_ a patient child, May. I would be proud if you could actually change Asgore’s horrible heart,” said Toriel in a bittersweet tone. She stood up and held out her hand.

If someone like May were to encounter her former husband, then perhaps there was hope after all. It would not be wise of her to try to keep the child here.

“If you truly wish to leave, I shall take you to the exit,” provided Toriel as she stood up. She held out her hand to the child.

Frisk cautiously held onto the monster. Toriel lead them to the steps and down.

The memories were all coming back; in the timeline where Frisk was a pacifist, they had to run after Toriel and stop her from blowing the Ruins exit to bits. The battle did not end well, seeing how Frisk died more than once, but through grit and determination, Toriel allowed them to leave. Frisk was lucky that they didn’t have to fight her _this_ time.

Frisk gave Chara a wink as they flew by them. Chara returned the eye gesture. “Good job!” they exclaimed.

Frisk, Toriel, and Chara were now at the bottom of the steps and walked down the elongated corridor of several purple hues. Nothing changed about this part of the house either.

After a silent walk, the three reached the end of the twisting hallway, finding themselves at the exit to the Ruins. The Delta Rune hung high over the door, indicating that the old capital borders were gone, and that they would soon be entering the Snowdin forest.

Toriel turned around to face Frisk. She embraced them in a loving hug. “Goodbye, my child. Please, whatever you do, do not come back. Have patience and try to change Asgore’s way of life.”

Frisk felt a teardrop plop onto their shoulder, almost making them burst into woe. All they wanted was to be reunited with their adoptive mother.

Toriel released Frisk from her hug and slowly walked away. Frisk made their way for the door, until they needed to say a final word.

“Wait, Toriel!” cried Frisk. Toriel whirled around.

“Don’t worry, someone will be there to save you all!” shouted Frisk as they opened the door. A bright light began to eat the room.

The last sight Frisk saw in that part of time was Toriel crying tears of joy.


	8. The Man Who Speaks in Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans and Alphys meet their friend who knows everything about paradoxes and time travel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Wingdings just doesn't like AO3. I managed to post the entire chapter on here, but there won't be any more use of wingdings from now on, so there's that. When characters speak in wingdings, it will be in italics.

While Frisk and Chara were adventuring through the Ruins with Toriel, Sans and Alphys were gazing at the kingdom in the distance, trying to figure out what had happened in the previous moments.

Sans and Alphys stood at the edge of the balcony quietly, watching the silent kingdom. It _wasn’t_ silent while walking around the streets of the capital; it was always bustling with life.

Sans remembered laughing at his father’s jokes while he and Papyrus ate fluffy cotton candy during their monthly trip. Alphys remembered her first trip to the main city for an interview with Asgore to be the next Royal Scientist. Both trips were filled with life and enjoyment, but from their view, everything was quiet.

Quiet from the recent murder of Prince Asriel and Chara Dreemurr.

“I didn’t know determination could go as far as resetting everything,” said Sans, breaking the quietude. “I knew a little bit about saves and resetting, but I had no idea determination played a part in it.”

“Well, that’s just my theory. I-It kind of makes sense, though," stuttered Alphys. "M-Maybe Frisk’s determination beckoned the other souls t-to do a true reset."

Sans clutched Papyrus’ scarf, sighing. At least he would be alive in this timeline now.

Wait...

_Papyrus._

Sans started to fret over the possibilities that could happen to his younger brother. What if there was a human walking around Snowdin _right now_ and decided to kill him? What if he saw him and Alphys and there would be no possibility of going back home? Sans already had to deal with his accidental knowledge about the timelines, but he did not want to deal with paradoxes, even though that was in his skill tree.

Paradoxes had no answers, and he despised it so.

Sans pushed his intrusive thoughts aside and stood up. “We’ve gotta get outta here. Wouldn’t be wise to meet up with our old selves, if they even exist at this point…” 

“W-What do you think would happen if we met our younger selves?” asked Alphys.

Sans looked at her out of the corner of his eye, and then back to the city. He shrugged. “We’d probably be erased from existence, so we gotta be careful, but I don't really know. I guess it differs with people. Asgore reacted as if I was my younger self because-heh-we look alike, but if young me saw _me..._ well things would be screwed up.”

Alphys bit the inside of her cheek. “B-But how do we get out of here?”

Sans almost spoke, but stopped himself. He didn’t have any idea. 

Well, he _did_ have one, but it was risky to be talking to people who knew _everything_ about the timelines. Especially people who were one with the void...well, they wouldn’t be part of the darkness as of _now,_ but in the previous ones, they were.

“Alphys, I’ve got a plan. It’s not good, but I’ve got one,” said Sans, turning towards his friend.

Alphys nodded her head with courage. “I-I’ve got your back."

Sans grinned. At least he traveled back in time with someone he knew and could trust.

“You remember the old Royal Scientist, don’t you?” he asked.

Alphys thought for a long moment, but shook her head. “I-I actually don’t r-remember anything about them."

Sans chuckled. “That’s okay. No one really remembers the guy anyway." He stared out into the grey horizon. “Anyway…that guy was my father.”

Alphys gasped and covered her mouth in surprise. “A-Are you serious?”

Sans nodded his head. “Yup, and he knew everything about time travel and paradoxes." His light expression fell. "Unfortunately, his life was cut short. I mean, no one put up a funeral for the old man after he 'disappeared,' so now that we’re at the very beginning, he’s gotta be alive now."

“S-So, we’ll be taking a trip to Hotland?” asked Alphys. 

“Yup, but if you see anyone you know in the present, try to keep yourself hidden, okay? We don’t wanna have a bad time,” told Sans, winking.

“A-Alright, let’s go!” she exclaimed. She made her way down the hall, but Sans grabbed the back of her lab coat.

“Uh, I’m pretty sure walking is gonna take a long time, and besides, we don’t know what’s changed in the past,” remarked Sans, “so, let’s take one of my ‘short cuts.’”

Alphys twirled around and let out an uncomfortable laugh. “O-Oh, right. I forgot you could d-do that." She placed her clammy claw onto Sans’ shoulder.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Y-Yeah,” she replied with a bit of uncertainty.

Sans’ left eye beamed with blue magic. Right before Alphys’ eyes, they disappeared from the balcony.

* * *

Blinking lines of purple and blue flashed before Alphys' eyes. She was slowly drifting away from Sans, who seemed _too_ comfortable for this entire trip. It seemed as if they were dropping into a black hole, no light escaping from its deadly grip.

“Almost there!” shouted Sans. He reached for Alphys’ claw. She wrapped her hand around his skeletal fingers. A white light blinded her. She shrieked in fright.

When she opened her eyes, she was standing in front of her lab. If she had the chance, she would have fainted.

She gasped and released Sans’ hand. She ran up to the front doors and stared in awe.

“I-It looks just the same as it does i-in the present,” she said, amazed. She looked over to the right and noticed that the Core was still in the process of being built with its incomplete metal skeleton proving so.

Sans walked up to her and looked in the same direction. “I can’t remember the last time I saw an unfinished Core."

“S-Same here,” breathed Alphys.

Sans walked over to the door, his hand close to a button. “Welp, are you ready to go inside?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m ready,” replied Alphys. She inhaled deeply and dusted off her lab coat.

Sans pushed the button, and the steel doors slid open. The two monsters sneaked inside.

The doors shut behind Alphys once she entered. She looked around, her jaw gaping open.

The outside of the lab looked the same, but the inside was different by a landslide; complex-looking machines, both complete and incomplete, sat on the metallic tile. Blueprints and notes hung up on the walls by tape. Outdated computers laid on cluttered desks. This place was more of a pigsty than Alphys’ lab, but she admired the handiwork of the Royal Scientist.

“Just stay here for a second. I’ll see if I can find him,” whispered Sans. He walked away before Alphys could say anything.

She peaked behind the corner of a wall. There, she saw a lean figure, hunched over the control panel of the giant monitor. It looked the same as it did in the present, except in better condition. At least it still worked with Alphys.

Sans strode up to the tall character. He cleared his throat to make his appearance known. The figure stopped what he was doing and stood up straight. He turned around, alarmed. His eye sockets widened in surprise at the sight of Sans. 

At first, the figure did not say anything. He simply walked up to Sans and touched his face.

“Sans…is that really you?” asked the figure. "Did...did you fix it?"

“Yup, it sure is me," answered Sans, "but...but I didn't fix your machine. Sorry..."

The character’s black eye sockets filled up with tears. He knelt down to the height of Sans and hugged him.

“I-It’s so good to see you, Sans…” said the figure as tears streamed down his porcelain white face.

“It’s good to see you too, Dad,” smiled Sans as he hugged back. 

The two skeletons released themselves from their hug, but the father gasped. He noticed Papyrus' scarf and unwrapped it from Sans' neck.

"Wh-What happened to Papyrus?" he asked, staring at the scarf with disbelief.

Sans sighed, deprived of emotion. "He was killed by a human...in the last timeline."

The slender skeleton stroked the scarf as he wiped tears from his eyes. "Too young...but hopefully, things can change."

He wrapped the scarf around Sans' neck. Wanting to change the gloomy subject, Sans turned around to the corner where Alphys was hiding.

“Okay, Alphys. You can come out now,” he called, managing a smile.

Alphys immediately became stiff. Not only was she about to meet Sans’ father, but she was about to see the previous _Royal Scientist._ She knew  _nothing_ about him, even thought he was her predecessor. What if he looked down upon her? He had every right to, but she wasn't up for a self-depreciating session.

There was  _no way_ she would be as great as  _him._ She couldn't force herself to think otherwise.

Sadly, there was no other route of this. She had to go meet him.

Alphys tilted her head down as she paced towards the scientist. She held her claw out to shake hands.

“H-H-Hello. Muh-My name is D-Dr. Alphys. I-I-I am the c-current R-R-Royal Scientist,” she stammered, her scaly skin as red as the lava in Hotland.

The scientist laughed as he warmly shook Alphys’ hand, a hole marking the middle of his palm, the other one mirroring it. “It is very nice to meet you, Dr. Alphys. I am Dr. W.D. Gaster, the Royal Scientist in _this_ part of time."

Dr. Gaster. Now _that_ name rang a bell in Alphys’ mind as her face became clear of the blush. She couldn't exactly find out how she knew about him, but it felt like she always did. 

“So, uh, Alphys; this is my dad. He’s knows a lot about anomalies and stuff, including the timelines, so we're safe with him,” explained Sans, his hand motioned upward to Gaster.

Gaster had similar features of both of the skeleton brothers; he had Sans’ eyes with the tiny pinpricks of white, Papyrus’ long jaw and tall height, and both of the skeletons’ upside-down heart noses. But Gaster had his own unique trait; unlike Sans and Papyrus’ wide, toothy smiles, Gaster had black, vertical lines that marked across his mouth like someone sewed it shut. He could open his mouth just like Papyrus, but it surprised Alphys how the brothers did not inherit that trait.

“I am quite shocked that you were able to travel back in time _without_ the use of my machine, Sans. You must tell me all that I do not know,” said Gaster, walking towards two, wooden chairs. He sat them across his office chair that was tucked underneath his computer desk. He pulled out his and sat in it, his fingers curled into one another. Sans and Alphys sat in the chairs, making themselves comfortable.

“So, what exactly happened?" asked Gaster, raising a brow bone in curiosity.

Sans and Alphys took turns explaining how they obtained the last human soul in the present. Alphys told him how she extracted the soul, and Sans stated how they were about to have Asgore fuse with the others, until the strange phenomenon occurred. They spoke of how the six other souls began to circle around Frisk’s, until there was a blinding flash that brought them back into this time. Alphys quickly described her theory, hoping that she didn't lose Gaster in the thick of it.

Gaster nodded his head, showing that he had followed along their story. “Interesting. We haven’t collected any souls yet, and it has been two years since Queen Toriel left the capital after her children died."

Sans and Alphys completely forgot that Queen Toriel left Asgore for what he claimed that he would do to the humans. No one had heard from the Queen since, except Sans. He _did_ exchange knock-knock jokes with Toriel after realizing it was her when all of them met at the barrier to stop Asgore from killing Frisk in one of the timelines.

Gaster spun his chair to face his computer. He rummaged through piles of papers, until he exclaimed, “Aha!” He whirled back around and handed Sans a piece of paper with interesting symbols on it.

Sans made a face of disapproval. “Dad, you know I’m bad at reading this."

“I know you can read it, Sans. Just try,” urged Gaster.

Sans sighed. The dots of white in his eyes shot from left to right as he read. A minute passed, and Sans looked at Gaster with bafflement.

“I’m flabber _gasted,_ Dad. How did you know about this?” asked Sans with a wink. While Alphys groaned at the pun, Gaster hid his goofy smile underneath his hand. He took a deep breath and faced Sans.

“Take a guess,” he replied in sign language.

Alphys watched in astonishment as she saw the Royal Scientist make complex hand gestures to his son. She knew nothing about sign language, but it was interesting to watch people use it.

Sans’ eyes filled with worry as he quickly signed sentences with his fingers. _"_ You remember falling into the Core? But how?”He froze, his eye sockets widening as he realized. “Dad, why would you do that?”

Gaster smiled. “For science, my son."

Sans covered his face with his hands. "I think you have a few screws loose."

Gaster grinned. Alphys, wanting to see what was written on the notes, tapped Sans on the shoulder.

“Uh, what do the notes say?” she asked.

“Oh, right,” said Sans, uncovering his face. He handed the paper to Alphys.

“In a nutshell, the notes talk about how if a human soul has a large amount of determination, it can attract other souls,” explained Sans as he touched the symbols on the paper. “It’s possible for them to fuse and do crazy things like we saw earlier today. A lot of equations play along in here with the timelines and formation of saves, but that’s not really important for our situation, so I’ll just skip down to here.” His finger moved to the bottom of the page, where a sentence in Wingdings was highlighted in pink. “This part here says: ‘Using my equations that I found whilst researching the ways of saves and resets, I conclude that it is possible for human souls with a powerful level of determination to go backwards in time. My theory states that if the human souls wish to live again, then fusing with souls that have a enough determination can help them.” He glanced at Alphys. “So, your theory was right, Al.”

Alphys stared at the paper with incredulity. “Oh, my God…”

She gave the paper back to Gaster. She didn’t know much about the timelines until Sans told her a while ago. This talk about equations in time travel was not in her range of skill, but Sans was able to give some background knowledge about it.

“S-So…what do we do now?” asked Alphys.

Sans tuned to Gaster. “Got any ideas, Pops?”

“Well, you could always stay here with me, but that might become a problem if younger you or Papyrus comes to visit me,” offered Gaster, “or, if you truly would rather explore, you can look around and see what has changed. I must say, things are definitely a lot different than they probably are in the future.”

Sans and Alphys looked at each other. “Well, what do you wanna do?” asked Sans.

Alphys wrapped her fingers around one another. “W-Why don’t we just explore a little bit? Nothing wrong with adventuring."

Sans nodded his head in agreement and stood up. “I like that idea more. Better than staying cooped up in here." He winked at Gaster. "No hard feelings, Dad.”

Gaster laughed lightly. “If you ever need me, you know where to find me."

Sans hugged his father and thanked him for all the help he did. They departed from their embrace and Sans and Alphys made their way to the exit, yet Gaster had another warning to tell them.

“Wait!” he cried. Sans and Alphys pivoted around.

“Somethin’ wrong, Dad?” questioned Sans.

“If my theories are correct, then this timeline might move onward soon,” said Gaster, distraught. “If that human soul you mentioned early fused with the others, then there must be a human around here that has taken form of one of the souls. Soon, they should jump forward in time, transforming into the next, taking you two with them. You both aren't supposed to be here anyhow.”

Sans and Alphys exchanged looks of fear. “Th-Then, that could happen at any moment!” fretted Alphys.

“Frisk…” whispered Sans.

 _Frisk_ was the one who fused with all of those souls. Then, wouldn’t that mean that Frisk was now apart of one of the human? What if they ran into them?

Before Sans could say anything, the room began to shake. Everyone looked at each other with alarm.

“It’s happening!” shouted Gaster.

The room was being devoured by the notorious, white light. Sans turned towards Gaster, reaching out his hand.

“Dad!” screamed Sans.

Gaster looked at his son with watering eyesockets. “Don't forget."

Sans couldn’t reply. The light took him and Alphys into the next timeline.


	9. Bravery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *You are filled with DETERMINATION, PATIENCE, and BRAVERY.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: No need to look through Tumblr anymore to read the rest of Chapter 8. I already figured that shit out.
> 
> Play some music while you're listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNe561lyTQw&list=PLhKnzaOo00mAbk5WiLd1W-uOTCiL2mlHB&index=3

Once upon a time, a human fell into the Underground. They did not know where they were, but they were filled with  _bravery._

* * *

Frisk’s blurred vision cleared up after the light had faded away. They felt cold, fluffy mass underneath their fingertips. A shiver ran up their spine. They slowly sat up, looking at their surroundings; a never ending forest escalated from their sight. Spruce trees were frosted with snow. A snowy path lied ahead, leading into the unknown.

Frisk rubbed their head, and suddenly noticed the changes that were made; they were sporting orange boxer shorts paired with a white T-shirt. Their feet were covered in chartreuse running shoes with white socks that were striped with blue. Their hands were clothed in fingerless gloves, ruined by time. Pink, boxing gloves were hung by a sturdy piece of leather from their waist. A bandanna with streaks of fire wrapped around their forehead.

These new changes filled them with bravery.

But something was missing; where was Chara?

“Chara!” called Frisk. No answer. They shouted their friend’s name again. Still, nothing. Their mouth opened to call again, until they felt the cool breeze past by them that was similar to the one they felt when they arrive in the so-called “Purgatory.”

Frisk whirled around and let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank goodness. I thought I lost you."

Chara appeared before their eyes, smiling. “I need to let out my mischievous side every now and then." They floated backwards and looked at Frisk from their head to their toes.

“So, how does it feel to be the courageous August?” asked Chara, examining Frisk. The brave human placed their hands on their hips and puffed up their chest, mimicking the Great Papyrus' natural stance.

“I feel brave,” replied Frisk with pride. They lowered from their pose and turned around, facing the door leading back into the Ruins. Their pride suddenly dropped. Chara flew over to them, looking at the door.

“We must have left Toriel just now as August,” said Frisk, their fingers touching the cold stone of the door. A moment of silence passed by, the soft wind making the only noise.

“Well, at least we made it to Snowdin,” said Chara, finally. The two children turned their gaze to the path ahead that was covered in snow. Yet another hushed minute moved onward.

“Don’t be afraid,” said Chara.

“I’m not,” said Frisk, their eyes glued to the path. They hesitantly stepped forward and began walking down the road, Chara floating beside them.

As Frisk walked, they expected Sans to jump out and greet them like he did in the latest timelines, except they had no idea where he was. He did not die when they fought him currently, but something in Frisk’s gut made them feel like something...horrendous happened to the skeleton. But Frisk believed he was still in the present and doubted that his younger self would have tried to explore the forest.

The children passed over the section where Papyrus’ wide gate should have been, but this was a different part of time, so he must have been too young to even think about capturing a human.

Well, he was never too young to think about joining the Royal Guard, but maybe setting up a human trap would have been difficult for the baby bones at this time.

“So, I noticed May and August are named after months. Are they related?” asked Frisk, glancing behind at the footprints they made in the snow.

“Yeah. From what I saw, August came looking for May after she fell down, but..." started Chara. They winced. "You know what happened."

Frisk and Chara kept traveling through the Snowdin Forest. They came across open areas as they journeyed through the woods. In the other timelines, the skeleton brothers should have been standing their with a puzzle ready for Frisk to accomplish, but nobody came.

The two, wandering children did not enjoy the silence as they passed through the forest. It just reminded them of how quiet it was during the timeline where Frisk was forced to kill every monster. But that thought quickly faded away when the two children came to a cliff overlooking a large space of land. A cabin stood in the middle of the open plain, bellowing smoke from its chimney.

“Did you ever figure out who lived in that house?” asked Frisk as they pointed to the cottage.

“No, but it’s probably some monster who just wants peace and quiet. I mean, Snowdin’s always been a nice place, but there are some monsters who would rather live alone,” replied Chara. "But that's not important right now. Let's keep going." They floated ahead as Frisk stole a final gaze at the house. They turned around and headed onward.

Soon, Frisk and Chara arrived at the familiar area decorated with snow poffs. Chara giggled and floating up to one. “And this...is a snow poff," they joked.

Frisk laughed at Chara. During their first time in Snowdin, Frisk examined these balls of snow, but found nothing of interest in them. But now, Chara was lightening up the mood by investigating the “snow poffs” and making dull, but hilarious comments about them. This went on for a couple of minutes.

“What’s this?” asked Chara, looking at the final snow poff, “oh, this definitely _not_ a snow poff.” They tried to destroy it, but their transparent hands made touching objects impossible.

“Darn it. I forgot I can’t touch things without going through them,” said Chara, disappointed. Frisk giggled as they walked over to the snow poff. They ran their fingers through the it, the formation quickly falling back into the snow.

“Thanks,” smiled Chara. Frisk nodded their head, laughing.

“Snowdin Town should be up ahead, so let’s keep going,” said Chara, gliding. Frisk walked behind them, reliving the memories of trying to eat cold spaghetti and laughing until their stomach hurt because of Sans’ and Papyrus’ shenanigans.

* * *

“Sans…Sans…” called a distant voice.

Sans refused to wake up. Of  _course._

“Sans!” cried the voice, louder. Well, now he _had_ to.

He opened his eyes and to his left, saw Alphys shaking him awake. Sans sat up and peered at her.

“Y’know, you don’t always have to assume I've fallen down or something,” laughed Sans. Alphys rubbed her neck.

“W-Well, you can never be too sure,” she said, smiling nervously. The two monsters stood up and looked behind them. They were still outside of the laboratory.

“W-We jumped forward,” pointed out Alphys. “Sh-Should we go see i-if Gaster’s inside?”

Sans shook his head. “He might be in there, but I don’t wanna take any chances. Besides, Frisk just changed into a new human...apparently.”

“Th-Then we gotta find them!” exclaimed Alphys. Sans looked at the scientist with confusion.

“Why?” he asked.

“Who knows wh-what they could be doing r-right now? I-I don’t want anyone getting hurt, especially f we’re back in time,” replied Alphys, twiddling her thumbs.

The doctor made a compelling argument; what if Frisk was still possessed by Chara and was creating holes in time? Sans wouldn’t want to end up back in the present to see that all of his friends were dead. Most of them were, but he couldn't let anything else happen.

“That’s actually a pretty good idea, Al,” said Sans.

Alphys managed a smile, but it faded away quickly. “B-But how do we find them?”

Sans’ gaze dropped to the rocky floor. He searched his mind to see where Frisk could be now.

“A part of me thinks they just left the Ruins, and they’re on their way to Snowdin,” he replied, "because every kid that's fallen down here had to start in the Ruins, so maybe they just left."

“I-If only we had my s-security cameras, we could check…but we don’t,” frowned Alphys.

“We just gotta make guesses and see if they’re right,” said Sans. "Or, to be more scientific; _hypotheses."_  Alphys snorted. 

“We’ll just teleport there and see if we’re right,” winked Sans. “Grab on.”

Alphys held on to Sans' bony shoulder. Within seconds, the two disappeared from Hotland.

* * *

Alphys opened her eyes, now in the sleepy town of Snowdin. Monsters wrapped in large scarfs and coats greeted one another. Children threw snowballs at their friends, laughing and prancing about. Festive lights gleamed in the light snow around the roof edges of little houses and corner shops.

Alphys had only been to Snowdin a few times, just to get away from noisy Hotland. The tranquility of the place made her not want to go back to the lab, but she had no other choice.

“This place hasn’t changed a bit,” said Sans with a hint of nostalgia. Alphys looked to her right and saw a large, wooden house that looked somewhat familiar. The lights were on in the windows and she could see two, shadowy figures inside. She nudged Sans with her elbow.

“Look,” she said, her voice hushed. She pointed to the window. At first, Sans was startled to see people in his house, but he reminded himself that he was in the past; younger Sans and younger Papyrus were in there.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it. Just Paps and me in there. Da-I mean, Gaster-is at work,” reassured Sans.

Occasionally, Sans wished Papyrus would become a toddler again to relive the moments of making snow angels and playing board games inside, but he still enjoyed the amount of fun his brother brought, probably even more glee than he did when he was a young boy. 

Sans turned his gaze back to the streets. “Alright, let’s go find ourselves a human." He was about to start walking, until Alphys pulled on the hood of his jacket, jerking him back. He rotated to face Alphys.

“Sans, w-we shouldn’t be walking in such a v-vulnerable state like this. People will get suspicious to see an older version of y-you walking around,” warned Alphys. She released him from her grasp.

Sans was so used to walking around Snowdin with no worry, but they _did_ just time travel into the past. This timeline could be destroyed because of Sans leisurely walk on the street.

“You’re right, Al. Sorry. I should’ve thought it through first,” said Sans, stuffing his hands into his pockets. 

“N-No worries. Let’s just find Frisk,” said Alphys.

Sans looked around, making sure no one was looking in their direction. "C’mon, I know a shortcut. It’s through the woods."

The two monsters sprinted into the safety of the forest and began walking. Every now and then, they peeked out from the trees to see if they were following the same path as the road.

They reached the edge of the forest, checking to see if anyone had followed them. Knowing that they were safe, they bolted out of the woods. Alphys looked behind them to see that the town had grown distant from her line of vision.

“We should be safe,” said Sans, wiping his skull with his hand. They ambled down the road, keeping their eyes out for Frisk.

“Wh-What are we going to do if we find them here?” asked Alphys.

Sans stopped in his tracks. He didn’t know what he was going to do once they spotted Frisk. Would he make sure they weren’t possessed by Chara, or would he put his trust into them, hoping that they had changed?

He decided that violence would probably help. A poor decision, he knew, but it was the only option. It was better safe than sorry.

“I-I guess I’ll be careful around them. Wouldn’t want to die in the past,” said Sans. chuckling wearily.

His laughter was cut short by the human child walking towards them.

The child was dressed in boxing attire with fighting gloves attached to their hip. Although they looked different than they did before, Sans would never forget that face.

Alphys gasped and took a step back, ready to flee in case the human decided to attack. Sans’ left eye flamed with blue magic.

The human came closer to the pair of monsters. “Frisk, _look_ _,”_ spoke Chara, shocked.

Frisk looked up. Their heart skipped a beat the moment they saw the familiar faces, except the skeleton wasn’t so friendly. His face screamed murder.

“Run!” cried Chara. Frisk, filled to the brim with fright, darted into the forest.

Their bravery vanished from them once they saw the familiar, flickering light of blue magic.


	10. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some unnecessary tension is involved, but luckily, Frisk is there to get rid of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry it took me forever to post this chapter. School is a fucking bitch.  
> I also would like to note that I did delete Little Shop of Horrors: Afterwards. To be honest, I didn't like it. There wasn't enough plot to it, but at least we've got this fic!  
> Anyways, listen to some sweet tunes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx6KpdolfEY

Frisk darted through the woods, crashing into hanging branches and tripping over fallen logs. They did not care where they were going; they only cared for their safety.

They never expected to see Sans and Alphys walking on the roads of Snowdin. Chara probably had another theory of how _they_ got here, but Frisk had to focus on where they were running. They still couldn’t comprehend why their dear friend was chasing after them with the motive to kill.

Frisk turned their head to not only see Chara catching up to them, but Sans sprinting through the woods, his left eye exploding with blue magic. Frisk gasped and looked ahead. Tears streamed down their eyes. They never wanted it to end this way, especially since Frisk wasn’t possessed by Chara this time.

“S-Sans, wait! I don’t th-think they’re bad!” shouted Alphys after Sans, but he wouldn’t stop. He needed to catch Frisk and make sure they weren’t planning on hurting anyone in the past.  _That_ would mess up the future even more.

“Frisk, climb up!” called Chara. To Frisk’s left, Chara was floating by a pine tree sprinkled with snow. Frisk ran towards the tree and made their way up to the top. Below them, Sans was running towards the trunk the tree while Alphys was wearily jogging after him, hoping to change his mind about hurting the innocent human. Frisk quickly pulled themself up onto each branch. The pine needles hid Frisk, blocking Sans’ view of them.

Sans reached the trunk of the tree, searching for Frisk. Frisk held onto the branch they were sitting on as if their life depended on it. Chara held their breath as they hovered by Frisk, waiting to see what the mad-driven skeleton would do next.

Alphys reached Sans. “Sans… d-don’t hurt them! G-Give them a chance!” she wheezed. Sans glared at her with furious eyes.

“That’s not Frisk. There’s no way that can still be Frisk. It’s _gotta_ be Chara, and I’m gonna take them outta this timeline _for good_ ,” growled Sans. He turned his stare back up to the tree.

Frisk and Chara looked at each other with betrayal and fear. “Y-You need to get farther away from him. He’ll…he’ll…” said Chara, their voice trailing off. Frisk’s confusion and fear suddenly disappeared. Their face dropped.

“Kill me? I know, but there’s nothing I can do,” finished Frisk, unemotional. Chara looked at them with disbelief.

“You can’t give up now, Frisk! We still haven’t made it to the next soul!” cried Chara. “D-Don’t give up!”

Frisk sighed and began to make their way down the tree. “I’m tired of resetting, Chara. Sans might as well end it for me. For _good_. _"_

Chara was baffled by the words coming out of Frisk’s mouth. Frisk, the determined child, was giving up.

It reminded them of how Chara once acted.

Sans saw a rustle in the trees. He could make out the tiny figure crawling down. With a swipe of his hand, Frisk’s soul turned blue.

_Ping._

Frisk looked down and saw that they were highlighted with a dark blue. They clutched their chest, shocked. Before they could call out to Chara, they were lifted up into the air.

Alphys stared in horror as she saw Frisk being lifted out from the trees. “Sans, _stop!”_ she demanded, but the enraged skeleton payed no attention to the scientist.

“You’re blue now,” mumbled Sans as Frisk was drawn closer to him. The human showed no sign of emotion. They knew that they were about to die, and they simply did not care.

Sans brought Frisk closer to his face. “Think you could use Frisk as a toy again, huh, _Chara?”_ he asked, hotly.

Frisk looked into Sans’ eye sockets. They wanted to give up and end it off here.

But for some reason, they weren’t.

They were filled with bravery, patience, and _determination._

The life in Frisk’s eyes flooded back. They looked at Sans with a great deal of courage. “Don’t you remember me, Sans? It’s really me!” they cried, determined to change Sans’ mind about killing them.

Sans chuckled. “Don’t play dumb with me, _Chara_. Get outta Frisk’s body and no one gets hurt… except for _you_ , _”_ he said, his eye sockets suddenly dark. The blue magic’s grip tightened on Frisk. Their breath was cut short. They gasped for air, but could not reach any. Frisk had to think of words to say, or else they would be erased from existence forever.

They decided that their parting words from the previous timeline could help change Sans’ mind.

“S-Sans…” choked Frisk. “I-I love you.”

The dots of white came back into Sans’ eye sockets. The blue flame was distinguished. Frisk collapsed to the cold ground, taking in the icy air. Sans knelt beside the human child, his eyes filled with a mixture of shock and woe.

“F-Frisk, it really _is_ you,” said Sans, his eye sockets welling up with tears. Frisk slowly sat up, stroking their neck. Their lips were dry and their face was regaining color at a snail’s pace. Before Frisk could reply, Sans wrapped them into a hug.

“Shit kid, I’m so sorry. This happened again because I’m a fucking idiot. I’m so sorry,” whispered Sans, holding back hiccups and tears.

Frisk could not find any words to say. They simply let the skeleton silently cry on their shoulder.

Alphys and Chara stood on the sidelines, surprised that Sans actually stopped hurting Frisk. Chara let out a sigh of relief while Alphys touched her forehead, glad that no one was dead.

After the long moment of hugging, Frisk and Sans stood up. They walked over to Alphys.

“Sorry, Al. Shoulda listened to ya,” apologized Sans, blue blush covering his cheek bones.

“I-It’s okay, Sans. I-If anything, I-I’d apologize to Fr-Frisk,” said Alphys. Sans turned towards the human and held out his hand.

“Are we good, kid?” asked Sans. Frisk smiled.

“Y-Yeah…just don’t kill me a-again, okay?” said Frisk, their voice hoarse. The two friends shook hands, creating the pact that would stay unbroken. Frisk looked at Chara out of the corner of their eye and winked. Chara grinned.

The trio began walking back towards the road. As they walked, Frisk asked Sans and Alphys how they arrived in the past. With their knowledge from Dr. Gaster, the two monsters explained how the fusion of the six other souls made the timeline do a true reset, taking them back to the very beginning.

Frisk told their friends how they have been switching souls and how the timeline will jump forward once they reach a new place, taking form of one of the human souls. With some clarifications, Sans and Alphys were able to understand Chara’s theory.

“So once we get to Waterfall, we’ll go forward in time and you’ll turn into another human?” asked Sans. Frisk nodded their head.

“Yeah…but to be honest, I don’t know _why_ I was given another chance to do a true reset. Everything should have just ended after I died,” said Frisk, looking at the snow. “I don’t really deserve another try…”

“M-Maybe the souls w-want you to…amend for what you did in the last timeline,” hypothesized Alphys, soothingly. Sans nodded his head in agreement.

“That’s a good guess. But sometimes, things are just s’posed to happen without any explanation,” said Sans.

The group went back into the protection of the forest once they reached Snowdin Town. They passed the cozy village and wandered back to the road. They soon arrived at circle of land with a road leading into a dark cavern.

Frisk remembered this familiar patch of land that they passed by; it was the same place where they fought Papyrus in the two timelines. The battle was both hilarious and fun to Frisk, but either way, they always ended up winning in both of the timelines, whether it ended with going out on a date with Papyrus or crushing his skull to bits.

Frisk, Sans, Chara, and Alphys arrived at the entrance into the Waterfall marshes. “We’re gettin’ close to Waterfall. Not sure what to expect here since we’re gonna time travel again,” said Sans. He looked at Frisk. “You ready, kid?”

Frisk nodded their head, filled with bravery. “I’m ready."

The group’s view turned back into the cavern. Chara and Frisk could see the shining light, coming to take them into the next chunk of time. The two children looked at each other, ready to face what the next part of time had to offer. The group took a step forward into the cavern. The light collided with them, and brought them forward in time.


	11. Honesty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk and co. arrive at the place where water flows and mushrooms glow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And you thought I was going to leave my waifu out of this fan fiction, didn't you?  
> Nope, she's in here.  
> Anyways, here is the first music suggestion you should listen to while you're reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4P7T_62IJA&index=6&list=PLhKnzaOo00mAbk5WiLd1W-uOTCiL2mlHB  
> There's another music suggestion later on the chapter, so be sure to look out for that! Without further ado, enjoy the chapter.

Once upon a time, a human fell into the Underground. They did not know where they were, but they were filled with  _honesty._

* * *

 

The distant song of a music box passed through Frisk’s ears. They felt rushing water skim beneath their fingers. Mysterious voices echoed throughout the room, only some words being heard by Frisk.

The serene noises filled Frisk with honesty.

The child opened their eyes and sat up. They gazed at the scenery around them; aquamarine crystals sparkled like stars. Echo flowers spoke stolen words. Water snaked down the grassy pathway. If there was one place that Frisk loved the most in the Underground, it was Waterfall.

Frisk looked to their right and saw Chara sitting by the stream. Their feet were in the cool water, although they weren’t able to feel anything. Frisk stood up and walked over to Chara.

“Pretty, isn’t it?” asked Frisk.

Chara craned their neck to see Frisk. They turned back around to face the stream. “Sure is. I haven’t been here since Asriel gave me the grand tour of the Underground.”

Chara’s words lingered in the air for a moment, until they gasped. Frisk made a worried face.

“What’s wrong?” they asked. Even though they did not know what was going on, Frisk’s heart was already beating as fast as a hummingbird. Oh, how fast fear could be caught!

Chara looked at Frisk with panic.

“Flowey’s alive."

Frisk felt a bead of sweat drip down from their left temple. They lifted their hands to comfort Chara.

“W-We can’t make guesses, Chara. He’s probably not even a thing yet,” reassured Frisk. Chara stood up and looked down at Frisk.

“I _know_ that Flowey should be alive now, especially if you’re supposed to be Iris,” claimed Chara. "Alphys is already the Royal Scientist at this point and is already looking at how to break the barrier." They floated backwards to see the full view of Frisk’s new outfit.

Frisk was clothed in a ocean blue leotard with a light pink tutu. Their legs were covered with stockings that matched the color of the tutu. White ballet slippers were tied carefully around Frisk’s shins. Their bangs were clipped back with a golden hair clip.

Chara was amazed by the resemblance Frisk beared to Iris. They noticed they were getting off topic and shook their head. “Nice outfit and all, but we gotta get out of here. Flowey could be around here, and I don’t need you dying on me.”

Frisk stood up and looked over at the sleeping Sans and Alphys. They couldn’t leave their friends here. Frisk looked back at Chara.

“We leave once they wake up,” demanded Frisk. Chara bit their lip.

“Fine, but if anything happens to them, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” said Chara, hotly. A small smile grew across Frisk’s face.

“Thank-” started Frisk. They suddenly saw their soul flash in front of their face, blinking two times. Frisk and Chara swapped looks of terror. Frisk slowly turned around to see the smiling flower they feared of when they first fell into the Underground.

“Howdy!” greeted the flower. The animated flora still looked the same when Frisk first met him.

“What? You don’t remember me?” asked Flowey with a smirk. Frisk took a step back, but felt the sharp sting of bullet go through their right arm. Frisk let out a yelp.

“You think I could just let you escape after leaving the Ruins? Wow…” said Flowey, shaking his head. His giddy face morphed into a nightmarish grin. “You really _are_ an idiot.”

“You are too, asshole,” snarled a voice. Frisk, Chara, and Flowey jerked their heads to see Sans and Alphys standing up. Sans’s left eye was already ablaze, while Alphys glared at Flowey with disgust.

“D-Dr. Alphys? What are _you_ doing here? And why are you with these _freaks_?” asked Flowey, his hellish face creased in puzzlement.

Alphys did not reply, for she let Sans attack. He slammed his hand down, forcing blue magic onto the flower. Flowey was pushed to the ground, struggling to get back up. The hostile skeleton walked towards the flower.

“Hurt them again. I _dare_ you,” threatened Sans. Flowey looked at Sans with hate. He turned his glare over to Frisk, who was covering the bloody wound in their shoulder with their hand. His stare turned back over to Sans, smiling wickedly.

“I’ll leave you alone, trash bag. I don’t know who you are, but threaten me again and I’ll _kill_ you,” barked Flowey. Sans gingerly released the blue magic from Flowey. The flower arched his back once the magic was released. He looked at Frisk with a creepy face.

“Remember Iris; in this world-” began Flowey. His face became more distorted. “-it’s kill or _be_ killed.” With a devilish laugh, Flowey descended back into the ground. Everyone stared at the ground with shock.

“Told you,” commented Chara, still looking at the ground. Before Frisk could admit that Chara was right, Sans and Alphys ran up to Frisk.

“Jeez kid, are you okay?” asked Sans.

Frisk caressed the wound. “Y-Yeah, I’m okay. I just need something to help me, though." They looked at Chara, awaiting an answer.

“Gerson’s shop should be nearby. He probably has some stuff you can use,” said Chara. Frisk looked back at Sans and Alphys.

“Gerson’s shop is around here. Maybe he has medicine,” said Frisk, repeating Chara's suggestion.

“Good idea. Let’s get going before that shithead comes back,” said Sans, putting a protective arm over Frisk.

“Wait! Hold on,” cried Alphys. Sans and Frisk whirled around.

“I-I can make something th-that’ll stop you from bl-bleeding too much,” said Alphys. She knelt to the ground and plucked two, glowing ferns from their stems. She sat the plants on the ground and walked over to the water. She scooped up the water with her claws. She spread the water over Frisk’s wound and tied the plants together.

“There. I-It’s not the best s-sort of healing, b-but at least y-you won’t pass out from bl-blood loss,” said Alphys, somewhat proud of her handiwork.

“Thanks, Alphys,” said Frisk, looking at the bandage. For once, Alphys had confidence in herself.

“Nice outfit by the way,” said Sans. Frisk twirled around in their tutu, trying to erase the negative emotions they were feeling.

“Who knew the third human had a good fashion sense?” said Frisk, stroking the frill of the tutu. Chara floated towards Frisk, examining every clothing piece on Frisk.

“I swear, you look more like each kid you embody every time we travel forward,” Chara pointed out.

The four then started off into the deeper parts of the Waterfall caverns. They passed by more echo flowers that repeated conversations and sentences. They walked over glowing mushrooms that illuminated a neon blue light. They stayed quiet throughout most of the trip, not disturbing the peaceful silence.

After traveling through the first half of the cave, the group took a break in the Wishing Room, where golden crystals shimmered and echo flowers talked to one another. Alphys checked up on Frisk’s wound, which was healing at a snail’s pace, but it had a good chance of being infected. A sickly green and purple hue began to border around the wound. Alphys splashed more cool water onto the wound and wrapped the bandage around Frisk’s arm again.

“I-I’m no health expert, b-but we better get t-to Gerson’s shop soon,” said Alphys, worried. Frisk looked at the bandage made of grass. When Alphys unwrapped the bandage to clean off the injury, Frisk also noticed the grotesque color around the hole. They has seen infected wounds before, but the purple color was new to them. It was most likely just infected, and nothing more. They pushed the thought aside and stood up.

“Well, let’s get going then,” said Frisk. The rest of the gang stood up and walked onward. Chara checked behind them every now and then to see if their flower friend was following them. There was no sign of the creature, but Chara felt that they were being watched.

* * *

[  _(Play music now.)_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH6HIHmhvQU&index=30&list=PLpJl5XaLHtLX-pDk4kctGxtF4nq6BIyjg)

“Sh!” commanded Sans in a hushed voice.

The four hid behind a stone pillar, watching the bridge that sat over the stream of water. Alphys held her breath while Frisk and Chara huddle close by each other. From his view, Sans could see the figure clad in steel armor.

Alphys never expected that _she_  would already be in the Royal Guard. If anything, she expected them to just be in their training, but she never talked to them in this point of time. Her shyness overwhelmed her, and still did.

Frisk and Chara were equally staggered by the presence of the figure. While Frisk remembered how they had to escape them by fleeing into Hotland, Chara remembered the “final form” of the guard from the latest timeline. They wished they could forget that.

The enemy was shrouded in the darkness. They were a short distance away from the group’s hiding spot. A teal spear shimmered in their hand, waiting to be hurtled through the air. A chilly breeze made the red strand of hair on the top of the menacing helmet sway in the wind. The armor and spear gave away their identity to Frisk.

It was _Undyne._

Frisk tugged on Sans’ coat. He turned around, his left eye alight with a soft, blue flame.

“You have any ideas how to get us outta here?” he asked.

“Well, I haven’t thought of any ideas yet, but I know who that is,” whispered Frisk.

“Who?" questioned Sans.

Frisk took a gulp before answering, hoping that the enemy wouldn’t overhear them. “Undyne."

Alphys’ remained shocked at the sight of Undyne while Sans crossed his arms.

“Figures, but she looks so different than she did before," he whispered.

Frisk looked over at Alphys, who was staring at Undyne with fright and astonishment. “Are you okay, Alphys?” they asked.

“N-Not really. If we’re dealing w-with…Undyne, then w-we might not even make it out,” replied Alphys, biting the inside of her cheek, “b-but I don’t think she knows _a lot_ r-right now, so I still have hope…”

Beforehand, the group noticed someone was chasing after them when a spear nearly grazed Frisk's hair. Though it was thrown in a clumsy way, they still had to escape. They managed to hide behind the pillars in the bridge room where Frisk was once chased down by Undyne before, but she still followed them, even though she didn't know where they were.

“Then we have a chance to escape,” said Frisk. Sans, Alphys, and Chara looked at them with disbelief.

“Frisk, you’re crazy,” said Chara. “Look, I know Undyne isn’t that strong right now, but she could still kick our butts."

“Frisk, you can’t be serious. We’ll get skewered,” objected Sans in a nervous, caring way.

“I’ll be honest with you, I don’t have a lot of faith in running away, but I’ve managed to outrun her before. That’s how I got to Hotland anyway,” countered Frisk.

Sans and Alphys exchanged glances of worry, but Sans’ expression dropped first. He faced Frisk.

“I believe in you, kid. Just tell us what you need us to do,” said Sans with a smile. Alphys closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“S-Same here, Frisk,” said Alphys. Frisk, grinning with courage, turned towards Chara. The ghostly child sighed.

“Fine, but it’s not like I have a choice anyway,” they said, curtly. Frisk changed their view from Chara to Undyne, who was still prowling around. Their eyes caught the bridge, leading into the next room. An idea suddenly lit up in their mind.

Frisk turned back around, looking at Sans and Alphys. “I know what we’re going to do; we’re going to create a diversion.”

“And how do we do that?” asked Sans. “If anything, _you_ should get outta here before Al and I do.”

“That means you two are going to create the distraction. Is that okay?” asked Frisk, anxious for their friends' safety. Both Sans and Alphys nodded their heads.

“Good. I’m going to cross over to the bridge while you two do stuff to get Undyne’s attention,” explained Frisk.

Sans’ eyes lightened up. With a smirk, he opened up his jacket to reveal a bottle of ketchup. Chara, Frisk, and Alphys collided their heads with their palms.

“I always keep a spare bottle with me,” said Sans with a comdeic wink.

“A-Are you serious, Sans?” asked Alphys, trying to contain her laughter.

“Well, it seems to me that Undyne needs to _ketchup_ with Frisk, so we’ve gotta slow her down,” joked Sans. Frisk covered their mouth, holding in the laugh that wanted to burst out. They calmed themself down.

“Well, I was planning on Sans to scream something like, ‘I’ll get you, human!’ while Alphys would say, ‘You won’t catch me!’ or something, but if you _really_ want to use the ketchup, be my guest,” said Frisk, smiling.

“Y-Yeah! Let’s do that,” whispered Alphys, determined.

The two monsters stood up. Sans motioned with his head for Frisk to start crossing over towards the bridge. Chara peaked behind from the pillar. They pointed towards the bridge, giving the sign that Undyne was not looking, and it was safe for Frisk to cross. As Frisk stepped into the cool water, Sans and Alphys sneaked over to the next pillar behind them. It took Frisk three tries to make it up onto the bridge. They scampered up after the third try and gave Sans a thumbs-up, telling him that they were ready to go.

Sans nodded his head in the darkness and turned towards Alphys. He mouthed the words, “Ready?” Alphys hesitantly nodded her head. The two stepped out from their hiding spot, the aqua light from the stones above giving them some illumination. Alphys was ready to flee, and Sans was ready to shout. Frisk crawled over the bridge as Chara kept an eye out on Undyne.

“Get back here, human!” boomed Sans, mimicking Undyne's voice. Now the act had begun.

Undyne’s head jerked to her right. There, she saw a pair of shady folk, one running away and one chasing after them. She gasped and sprinted towards them.

“Y-You’ll never catch me!” exclaimed Alphys. Without hesitation, Undyne ran up to Sans and Alphys and plucked them off the ground by the back of their collars. She dropped them to the ground once she noticed that they were monsters. She cursed underneath her breath.

“Punks,” snapped Undyne. “I _knew_ I saw a human around here.” She turned her head to look over the bridge, and to her surprise, she saw an escaping Frisk, now on their feet. She gritted her sharp teeth underneath her helmet and summoned two spears into her hands. She glared at Sans and Alphys.

“I’ll make sure to-” began Undyne. Before finishing the last of her threat, Sans abruptly squirted the ketchup onto the helmet. A “Ngaaah!” rang throughout the room. Frisk and Chara howled with laughter as they hopped off the bridge and ran into the next section of Waterfall.


	12. To Tell a Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Frisk suffers through the pain, Chara tells the story of the third fallen human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And you thought Chara quotes were over after Chapter 3.  
> Guess again, bitches.  
> Oh and there's another music suggestion later in the chapter. Trust me, it fits in with that part of the story.

Frisk tumbled to the ground, Chara following shortly after. The two cackled until their stomachs hurt.

“Did you hear her? I never heard her shout like that!” exclaimed Chara. They mocked Undyne by screaming “Ngaaah!”

Frisk snorted as Chara did their impression. For once, Frisk and Chara were actually enjoying themselves on their journey.

The laughter died down after a little bit. The children stood up and looked behind them. “Do you think Sans and Alphys made it out okay?” asked Frisk.

“Maybe, but Sans always has something up his sleeve. He could easily teleport to us if things get heated,” said Chara with a hint of doubt. Chara began flying onward, but when they saw Frisk didn’t budge, they stopped.

“Are you coming?” asked Chara. Frisk was snapped out of their daze and turned around.

“Y-Yeah, I’m coming,” replied Frisk. They ran up towards Chara and began walking.

Frisk remembered this place well; it was where they had hid in the tall grass with Monster Kid as Undyne scanned the area for them. Luckily, they weren’t captured, but that was a slight victory in their part.

Frisk pushed through the grass and managed to get out of it, where Chara was waiting. “Chara, I _really_ think we should wait for Sans and Alphys. It-" Without warning, a cry of pain escaped from their lips. They fell to the floor, clutching their arm. Chara gasped and knelt beside them.

“Frisk, are you okay? What’s going on?” asked Chara, quickly.

With shaking hands, Frisk unraveled the bandage. To their surprise, the infection had gotten worse; the purple color had now consumed the wound, and was crawling up to Frisk’s shoulder. Both children looked at the disgusting wound in horror.

“Poison,” whispered Chara. They had seen the effects of poison before in the previous timeline. 

“My arm’s going numb…” said Frisk, weakly. They stared up at Chara with horror growing in their eyes. “Wh-What’s happening to me?”

“I’ve got an answer to that!” claimed a voice. The children’s eyes shot up to see Flowey, looking smug.

“Flowey,” hissed Chara.

Flowey snickered. “That, my friend, is hemlock. Thank goodness for my old pal's garden!" As his face twisted back into the horrifying look, he let out a villainous laugh.

While Frisk suffered from the pain, Chara curled their fingers into a fist. Betrayal and revenge swam through their dead veins. Flowey, once the kind Prince of the Underground, cut the flowers from their secret garden in the palace of New Home. He used the poison from the hemlock flowers and created it into a vile poison to hurt Frisk.

Why, oh why, were they surprised?

“You…” whispered Chara, harshly. They walked up to Flowey, their arms limp. The flower stopped his laughter and looked up. His eyes were filled with joy and shock.

“Ch-Chara? Is that you?” asked Flowey. The child came into view to both Frisk and Flowey. The colors of their entire body was restored, losing the transparent appearance. Their eyes became empty eye sockets, filling up with blood.

“ _Y̜̹̙͈̳̜o̶̘u̡̻̙̮̗̮̰̜͠͝_.̯͔.̼̳̤͢͞.̢͙̦̞̟͝” snarled Chara with a tone of ferocity. Flowey’s face now resembled something of Asriel’s. His face with full of fear.

“Ch-Chara, there’s no need to get upset. We’re still b-best buds, right?” asked Flowey, shrinking towards the ground. Chara placed their fingers around Flowey’s stem and brought him closer to their face. Blood poured from their eye sockets and a horrific laugh came from their wretched smile.

“Y͜҉̡̫̤o̸̺̺̜̹̥̹̤͞u̯͈̱͍̫͕͝ͅ ̞̠̤͔͉͜͡m̼͙͈̥̮̕͝͠a̷̡̨͕̗̩͔̰d̶̢͔̱̭̫̭̹͚͉͠e̡̛͈̜̞̹̹͜ ͎̤̖̺y̢̻͔͡o̡̻̖͕͓͍̯ṵ͕͍͈r͉̻̩̬͝ ̢̯̱̖̮͔͡͡c͍͖͘h̶̶͍̫͇̥̤̯̫o̢̦͖̰̜̜i̶͕͙̥̺̭̫̻͢c̸̝͉͎̦ͅͅę̸̶̪͇̣̩̥̰̞̥ ҉̶̢͙̮̻l̷̡͉͔̳̯̼͜o̶̞͔̹̝̘͝ņ̸͔̰͎̜̭g͏҉̪̩̜ ̨̳͍a҉̥̣̥̻̳̻̞ͅg̯̠͢o̸͇!” screamed Chara. Their grip around Flowey’s stem grew tighter. He squirmed in his position, trying to release himself. It was Frisk who saved his life.

“Chara, don’t!” cried Frisk. Chara glared at Frisk.

“He _hu҉r̷t_ you. He pulled this same poisoning crap with Iris, and now he’s doing it again,” argued Chara, their voice still misshapen.

“But it’s still Asriel,” countered Frisk. This made Chara release their grip on Flowey. He pulled back, gasping for breath. Chara turned back around and face him.

“You aren’t Asriel, you’re just a _freak_ ,” mumbled Chara. “Now, you’re going to tell us how to get rid of the poison on Frisk, or I'll _kill you."_

Flowey glanced at Frisk, and then back at Chara. His petals shivered in fear at Chara's intimidation. “Witch’s Gel,” he answered, quickly.

Before Chara could ask any other questions, the flower dove back into the ground.

“Wait!” shouted Chara. They pulled on their hair, repressing their angry cries. As they struggled to hold their fury inside, Chara reverted back into their spirit-like appearance. The sensation of touch had gone away. They released their grip on their hair and let their arms hang loosely at their sides.

Frisk shifted with tribulation. They had never seen Chara go on such a rampage like that with Flowey, who-in another world-was once their beloved friend. Frisk thought that since they had more of a merciful manner than Chara, they could see through Flowey’s flaws.

But the crippling sting of hemlock brought Frisk back the sense of pain.

Frisk squeezed their arm as the agony surged through them. Chara stopped their outrage episode and gaped at Frisk. They ran over to their friend, protectively laying their hands over Frisk.

“Frisk, are you okay? Please don’t die on me!” pleaded Chara. Frisk goggled at Chara, their vision blurring on the rims.

“I-I…I don’t know,” replied Frisk, lifting a purplish hand close to their face. The hemlock poison Flowey used on Frisk was zooming through their body quickly.

The way Frisk was suffering reminded Chara of how Iris died.

“Can you get up?” asked Chara, pushing the thought aside. They received a nod from Frisk. With quivering legs, the honest child managed to stand up. The poison hadn’t reached their legs yet, but by the look of Frisk’s face, the deadly poison was consuming most of their arm and was reaching their face. The fact that they just tried to escape Undyne could have made Frisk distraught, adding more fuel into the fire, but Chara didn’t have time to make assumptions; they had to lead Frisk to Gerson’s shop and find out wherever this “Witch’s Gel” was.

“I-I’ll lead the way,” said Chara, distantly. “I guess Sans and Alphys will just have to catch up…”

Frisk nodded their head. Chara flew an inch ahead of Frisk, levitating at a reasonable pace for their poisoned friend.

* * *

 The sounds of serendipity filled the children’s journey. The flow of water and the quiet music box thickened the air with their sounds. Even though Frisk was in immense pain, they felt the relaxing perception wrap around their soul like a warm blanket.

Chara, on the other hand, was uneasy. Questions raced through their mind like a pack of antelope; how did Flowey poison his “friendliness pellets” with hemlock? Were Sans and Alphys okay? Would Frisk even _survive_ the chaos of the poison that was killing them slowly? Either fate was being a cruel mistress or Lady Time was just unfolding the tragic events that Iris once suffered through. Both queens of the universe straight up despised how Frisk was going through these events with such a positive and determined attitude.

“How did Iris end up here?” asked Frisk, breaking the silence and Chara's thoughts.

The ghostly child looked down at Frisk with a slightly opened mouth. Their mouth closed into a smile.

Asriel had usually asked Chara to read him bedtime stories when they were still alive. He loved their reading voice so much, that even the slightest syllables and choice of words could put the young boss monster to sleep. Taking this in mind, Chara cleared their throat and began to tell the tale.

"Well, once upon a time...there was a girl named Iris Pierce."

* * *

[  _(Play music now.)_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6hRV-Nq1Q0&index=8&list=PLhKnzaOo00mAbk5WiLd1W-uOTCiL2mlHB)

_Iris Pierce was only eleven years old when she fell down into the Underground, the second eldest out of the fallen children. Known for her honesty and talent, Iris was the most adored out of the six humans in Chara's eyes._

_By the time Iris had fallen down, Flowey was already alive. Before Iris had come, he began tinkering with the ability to SAVE and RESET. At this time, Flowey had already lost his innocence and adopted his catchphrase, “It’s kill or be killed!”_

_Luckily, Iris had outlasted Flowey’s attacks with her light feet and skill in ballet. Unlike most of her friends who assumed her ballet shoes were charmed with luck, Iris thanked her own skill that she had survived the onslaught. But unlike Frisk’s encounter with Toriel, Flowey had already disappeared when he heard the sound of the boss monster coming forth. Chara knew that the tiny piece of Asriel had not faded away yet, and Flowey was still afraid to face his own mother._

_When asked by Toriel why Iris had fallen down into the Underground, she had replied, “I was not careful and had fallen down.” The tone in her voice made Chara realize that the third human was telling the truth._

_Iris had escaped the Ruins by having a small fight with Toriel. When the boss monster knew that Iris would be too quick and honest for any monster to start a fight with, Toriel let her free._

_While Snowdin was a breeze for Iris, Waterfall had become a challenge. Although Undyne was just a newbie in the Royal Guard, Iris was on the lookout. But like Toriel predicted, most of the monsters around the area did not want to fight with Iris, for simply she was too honest and knew that the monsters didn’t really want to start a challenge, except for Undyne of course._

_Iris was poisoned in the exact same spot as Frisk was during their arrival in Waterfall. Flowey had been following her and took the chance to hit Iris. She didn’t have Chara to get the answer of where a cure was out of Flowey, so she moved onward while dodging monster attacks in the process of the poison eating its way around her body. To relieve her body from the withering pain, Iris slipped off her tutu and unraveled her ballet shoes. She knew that there would be no purpose for them later on._

_Iris exited Waterfall and reached Hotland. Most of her body was now limp, sparing her left arm, the lower half of her body, and her right leg. She was beginning to realize that no one would save her, and her journey would be pointless. From what Toriel and other monsters have told her, Asgore would take her soul._

_After adventuring through the puzzle-filled world of Hotland, Iris arrived in the Throne Room in New Home. Her whole body was a pasty rainbow of purple, green, and yellow. Even Asgore saw the weakness in the human._

_Iris accepted the fact that she would never see the Surface ever again. Lifting her arms out as wide as she could, she took a stab through the heart. With a sense of serenity in her eyes, Iris collapsed onto the flowers like she once had before._

_Chara had grown quite fond towards Iris, but seeing her suffer like that made Chara rethink the ideas. They sworn to never show affection to another human again._

_But that all changed when Frisk arrived._

_Chara would never forgive themself for hurting Frisk emotionally and physically in the last timeline._

_They knew Iris would not tolerate such dishonesty and cruelty._

* * *

 “Iris sounds cool,” said Frisk as they trudged through the bright water. They had just arrived in the marsh of neon blue water. In order to continue onward, Frisk had to wade through the water. The cool feeling brought some relief to the pain, but it didn’t help much.

“I actually liked Iris, but...things change,” said Chara with an inelegant smile. Even through their ghastly appearance, Frisk could see that Chara was blushing.

“We should be getting closer. All you gotta do is catch a ride from someone and you’ll be closer to Gerson’s,” said Chara.

Seeing Chara help Frisk get through these troubling times filled them with honesty.


	13. Young Fish, Traveling Witch, and Losing Frisk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rumors of strong fish teenagers and witches pass through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on a roll with rhyming today.  
> Here's a music suggestion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPapt88_3aU

Spears flew over Alphys’s head as she fled from the clutches of Undyne.

“Argh! Get back here!” demanded Undyne, annoyed that her prey was easily escaping from her.

She _knew_ there was a human around here, but that skeleton and lizard monster she caught earlier played a dumb prank on her. Didn’t they know not to mess with a future Royal Guard? Even though she was _only_ in training and wasn’t considered to be a _true_ Royal Guard yet, she still wanted to impress Asgore by bringing him the third human. But due to the pranksters' acts, Undyne had lost the actual human.

Ever since that skeleton blinded her with ketchup, her helmet reeked of the condiment and sweat. She tried her best to ignore the stench while chasing after Alphys, but it came crawling back into her nostrils. She couldn’t focus. Even though it wasn’t the greatest idea to do this in front of future enemies, Undyne threw off her helmet. It clattered to the ground with a loud _clunk._

Alphys stopped in her tracks and rotated to see what Undyne had done. She gasped when she saw her future lover without her menacing helmet. 

Undyne looked only fourteen years old. Her serpent-like eyes were wider and the front of her crimson hair was fashioned into short side bangs. Her left eye was free from an eye patch, showing that Sans, Frisk, and Alphys had not yet reached that part in time where Undyne had lost her eye.

Undyne’s appearance made Alphys laugh on the inside. In this timeline, she would be the same age as her or a year younger. But now, Alphys was 21. Did fourteen year old Undyne know that she was dealing with an older monster? Maybe Alphys’s stout appearance made Undyne think that she, too, was a tween.

Undyne pointed her spear at Alphys. “You’re going to tell me _where_ that human ran off to, or I’ll…I’ll…” she threatened. She lowered her spear and tried to think of something to scold Alphys with. Her eyes lit up as a bright idea popped into mind. “Or I’ll kick your booty!”

Alphys held in her laughter. She knew Undyne was trying her hardest to bring justice to her and Sans, but she didn’t have the skill enough to do so like she did in the present, where she was the Head of the Royal Guard.

Alphys wanted to reason with little Undyne, but before she could open her mouth, she felt hands as thin as rakes touch her shoulders. She slightly jumped and looked up to see Sans. He was also containing his laughter.

“Sorry, kid. We know nothin’ about a human wanderin’ through here, so we’ll just take our leave,” said Sans with a grin.

“I’m not a-” shouted Undyne. But just like that, Sans and Alphys vanished. Undyne stepped back in confusion, but was soon flooded over with vexation.

“Hey! Get back here, punks!” thundered Undyne. Sans and Alphys snickered once they teleported by the patch of tall grass in the next room. Alphys felt a bit guilty for teasing Undyne like that, but she remembered what present Undyne had once told her: “If I ever got the chance to see fourteen year old me again, I’d punch her in the face! Seriously, she knew _nothing_.”

Maybe from this lesson, younger Undyne would be less of a hot head, thanks to Sans and Alphys.

The two monsters had finished their laughing session and stood up. They pushed through the grass and hoped to find Frisk, but they were not there. Sans frowned.

“I kinda wished Frisk waited for us,” mumbled Sans. He looked back behind him, checking to make sure Undyne didn’t find them. He turned his head back when he was certain that no one was following him and Alphys.

“M-Maybe we should wait for them at Gerson’s?” suggested Alphys. Sans nodded as his answer.

“Good idea. I’ll teleport us there. Hopefully, we didn’t screw up this timeline just by meeting Undyne,” said Sans, slipping his hands out from his pockets. He placed a bony hand on Alphys’s shoulder. Without needing a warning, the two teleported through time and space.

* * *

 “I see his shop! Come on, Frisk!” cried Chara. Frisk had passed through the room with Onion-san who hadn’t aged a bit since Frisk last saw them, crossed through the crystal corridor to see the kingdom, and had maneuvered their way over a thousand bridges that lead deep into a dark abyss. And now, the children had arrived in the little neighborhood where Undyne, Napstablook, and Mettaton’s houses sat.

Frisk weakly jogged over to the next room to see Gerson sitting at his shop, waiting for someone to come along. He sported all the clothes fit for an archaeologist: a pith helmet that was spotted with dirt, khakis, and a tan army shirt. When his eyes caught Frisk, he let out a mighty, “Wa ha ha!” Frisk managed a smile, even though the poison’s work was hurting them.

“Hey there, kiddo! Been awhile since I’ve seen a human down here! What can I do for ya?” asked Gerson, his welcoming aura greeting Frisk.

“I’ve actually been looking for something called ‘Witch’s Gel.’ Do you have any?” asked Frisk, politely. His lips pursed into a thin line.

“Unfortunately, I’m not a witch, kiddo. That’s some high class medicine right there, and only witches make it,” said Gerson. “And the only witches around here are deep beneath Waterfall. But if you don’t mind me pryin’, why _do_ you need Witch’s Gel?”

“I’ve…I’ve been poisoned,” said Frisk, truthfully. They unwrapped Alphys’ bandage to reveal the sickening wound, which was now larger than before. Gerson shriveled back at the sight.

“Oh, jeez. I’ve never seen poison like that before. I’m sorry, kid, but I don’t have any antidotes with me. If I had any Witch’s Gel, I’d gladly give ya some, but that’s made by witches only,” said Gerson with a hint of pity.

Frisk’s face was understanding, but their heart sunk. Was Frisk destined to end up the same way that Iris did?

“Great,” hissed Chara. They descended to the ground, their arms crossed. Everyone’s hopes were fading away, and their dreams as well.

“Well, thank you anyway,” said Frisk, concealing their disappointment. They were about to take off, until Gerson yelled, “Hold on! I actually remembered somethin’.”

Frisk whirled back around and walked back to Gerson's stall. “What is it?” they asked.

“I saw a witch cross by here not too long ago. Now, I know what you’re thinkin’: ‘Why would a witch ever come ‘round here?’ Well, I’ve heard stories about this witch, and she lives in Snowdin. A corner witch, you could say,” explained Gerson. “I’ve seen her make a couple trips from Snowdin to the capital to deliver some of her witchery goods. She usually stops here for food. But if you need that Witch’s Gel, she’ll be sure to come by anytime soon.”

Frisk and Chara smiled with happiness. There was hope after all.

“Do you know when she’ll come back?” asked Frisk. Gerson stroked the pearl white beard on the tip of his chin.

“Well, I saw her…two days ago, was it? Yeah, two days ago. She’s a speedy witch, so she should be comin’ back. If you wanna meet her, you’ll probably have to see her at the cave that enters into Hotland. That’s my best guess, anyway,” replied Gerson.

Frisk bowed in appreciation. “Thank you!”

As they ran off, they heard Gerson shout behind them, “No problem, kiddo! Stay safe out there!”

Frisk ran as fast at they could, now filled with determination and hope. If this corner witch was coming back from her delivery session, then she could possible have some Witch’s Gel with her. There was no harm in trying, anyway.

“Are you sure about this, Frisk? This witch could probably be back in Snowdin by now. I mean, Gerson _is_ pretty old. I don’t want this little trip to be for nothing,” asked Chara as they flew by Frisk.

“It’s better to try than not to,” said Frisk. Chara let the words sink into their mind for a little bit, then responded to Frisk with a nod.

* * *

 Sans and Alphys dropped from the air and landed on a grassy path with a thud. Alphys moaned in pain as she rubbed her spine.

“C-Could you be a bit more c-careful next time, Sans?” asked Alphys, straightening her glasses. Sans stood up and cracked his back.

“Not makin’ any promises,” said Sans. His eyes found Gerson’s shop just down the pathway where they had teleported to.

“C’mon! I see Gerson’s shop! Maybe Frisk is still there,” exclaimed Sans. With Alphys following after him, Sans ran off to Gerson’s shop.

But he lost all of his hope when he did not find Frisk.

A time-worn voice broke him out of his shock.

“What can I do for ya, kid?” asked the voice. Sans turned around to see Gerson, his chin sitting on the top of his claws. Sans walked closer to the old turtle as Alphys caught up to him.

“Have you seen a human around here?” asked Sans.

“Indeed I have. They just left that-a-way,” replied Gerson. He pointed towards the right. where a rocky corridor leading into a dark area with no light was seen. Sans already started running towards the room. Alphys stopped at Gerson’s stall.

“Thank you,” she said, out of breath.

“No problem, kid. But I gotta warn ya; that kid’s in mighty danger. If you see a person clad in armor, you make sure that kid gets to safety,” notified Gerson, wagging his sharp finger.

Alphys wanted to mention that she and Sans had already met with Undyne, but the way Gerson said Frisk was in danger made her shiver with anxiety. Had something happened to them while they traveled through half of Waterfall? She would have to find out for herself when she reached Sans and luckily, Frisk.

Besides, what could possibly happen to Frisk? They’re full of determination, and no one could ever take them down, whether they’re killing people or showing mercy, but she hasn't seen any mercy come from Frisk yet.

Well, does being their friend count as mercy?


	14. A Witch that Poison Fears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this world, it's cure or BE cured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you know how I said that there would be a music suggestion?  
> Well, I lied.  
> I didn't find any cool music, but since the next chapter will be taking in a whole, new place, there WILL be a music suggestion.  
> Anyways, enjoy.

“Frisk!” called Sans. His voice echoed through the illuminated room. Towering mushrooms gave off a soft, aqua light, showing the way for Sans as he traversed through the many paths in the area. The mushrooms made a low, humming noise. It sounded like a chorus of tenors and low altos, creating a melody of serenity. Sans did not want to disturb the restful atmosphere, but he had to find Frisk.

He shouted for Frisk again. Nothing.

As if the tides of fate were pleased with Sans. instantly, a small cry called back to him.

“Sans!”

Sans avoided the looming mushrooms, hopped over its smaller predecessors, and took shortcuts through the paths just to get to the voice.

“Frisk, I’m comin’!” hollered Sans.

“Hurry!” Frisk shouted back.

The way Frisk had called for Sans filled his soul with fret. Was Frisk okay? Did they get hurt? His questions would soon be answered if he was just able to reach Frisk.

In front of him, he could see a dimly lit Frisk, lying on the ground. Their tutu was splotched with water and dirt, and their ballet slippers with untied. They looked unwell, more than they did last time he saw them.

Sans ran up to Frisk, placing his hands on their shoulders. “Frisk! I can’t believe I found tiy. What happened?” 

“I…I…” said Frisk, their voice sounding hollow and weak. They whimpered in pain as they clutched their chest. Sans eyed at the wound that was concealed by Alphys’ bandage. In the poor glow of the light, Sans could see a deep purple color stretching up to the child’s neck. He eyes widened in fear.

“Frisk, what the hell happened?” asked Sans. Frisk looked up at him with glossy eyes.

“Fl-Flowey poisoned me,” they replied.

Poison. Sans should have known. He used poison on Frisk in the last timeline, but it was quick and killed them off easily. But this poison was different; it would slowly kill Frisk in an unpleasant way. They needed to find an antidote fast or else Frisk would…

A cry from Alphys snapped Sans out of his fretting.

“Sans! Frisk!”

The two friends turned their heads to see Alphys jogging towards them. She halted to a stop and took a deep breath. When she had recovered, she stood up and knelt down at Frisk’s height.

“A-Are you okay, Frisk?” asked Alphys, a claw on their shoulder. Frisk faintly shook their head. Alphys’s eyes found the wound that was uncovered from the bandage she had made. The light color that once surrounded the wound had turned darker, and had made its way up to Frisk’s neck. She covered her mouth in shock.

“Oh my God…” she said underneath her breath.

“Alphys, is there anyway to cure this? Do you even know what kind of poison it is?” asked Sans. His eyes were pleading for an answer. Alphys let her hands drop to the floor. She shook her head.

“I-I’m sorry, Sans…but I’m not a toxicologist,” said Alphys, her gaze down to the floor. Sans felt his shoulders slump. There was no hope now.

“Actually…there _is_ a cure,” replied Frisk, hoarsley. The monsters quickly turned around.

“Really? W-Well, what is it?” asked Alphys. Frisk licked their dry lips before answering.

“W-Witch’s Cure,” responded Frisk. While Alphys tilted her head in confusion, Sans eyes lit up like light bulbs. He jumped to his feet.

“I know a witch who has that stuff!” exclaimed Sans. Frisk let out a quiet laugh.

“Gerson al-already told me about her,” said Frisk. Sans remained excited.

“That’s great, but I _personally_ know her!” declared Sans. “Her name is Zera Alveri. Me and Pap have known her ever since we were kids. She’s one hell of a witch. She makes all kind of charms, spells, and potions, including Witch’s Gel.”

“Do you know where she is?” asked Alphys. The determined light died out in Sans’s eye sockets. He sunk down to the floor.

“No idea,” he said with a frown. As he sighed with disappointment, whistling sounds brushed through his teeth.

“G-Gerson told me that she should be coming back from her d-delivery trip,” said Frisk, touching their wound. Both of the monsters’ eyes were filled with hope once again. Sans lifted Frisk onto his back, ready to take off.

“C’mon, Alphys! We’re going to meet up with Zera!” demanded Sans in a cheerful tone. With one hand around Frisk’s waist and the other helping Alphys up, the three friends (including Chara) ran off to meet the corner witch of Snowdin, Zera Alveri.

* * *

The group crept through the cave leading into Hotland. As Sans kept a careful eye socket out for Undyne, Alphys carried the limp Frisk on her back. Chara floated ahead of the group, keeping a lookout for Zera. The walk was quiet and uneventful. No one passed by the monsters and human, only the soft wind. The dim lighting did not help their search for Zera, either.

But the uneventful tone changed when Chara shouted, “There she is!”

Frisk knew to repeat Chara’s words, so they acted as if they were just waking up from a nap (which they kind of were) and gasped. They pointed ahead.

“I see her!” cried Frisk, weakly. Sans and Alphys stopped in their tracks. They saw a shady figure walking towards them. As the character walked closer, Frisk could make out their appearance more; a leather satchel was slung over their shoulder. Gallant horns extended out from the sides of their head, where they stretched into a new direction at a certain point. When the person was in full view, they gasped at the sight of Sans. They ran up to him and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Sans! I didn’t think I’d find you here!” exclaimed the monster, their voice young and feminine.

“Good to see ya, Zera,” said Sans. After a minute, the close friends departed from their hug. Sans was relieved that no effect on this meeting had harmed the timeline. He was beginning to think that he seemed normal to people he had already met, and did not look older than he was supposed to in certain parts of time.

Sans cleared his throat. He gestured his hands out to the monster. “Alphys, Frisk; this is Zera."

Zera was a creature of pure beauty, even though she looked to be fifteen during this time period. Zera was a monster type called a Myterian; a mixture of demon and nymph creatures that were known for their colorful skin and magnificent horns.

Zera’s skin was colored with pastel purple. Intricate, white markings decorated her face. The most noticeable mark was in the center of her forehead, whose shape resembled a star. Her charcoal hair was evenly split and overlapped her shoulders like two, long rivers. Her solid white eyes reflected the somewhat visible light. Two, petite horns grew out of the left and right temples of her forehead and two, bigger versions of the horns spiraled out from both sides of her head.

Zera’s outfit consisted of a black cloak hung over her shoulders. The hood of the cape had holes large enough for her horns to slide through. Underneath her cloak was a dark green dress, its sleeves reaching to her elbows and hanging past her kneecaps. A wooden charm took shape of two, bent lines, touching each other at their sides. Another line with two circles at each end of it crossed through the curves. This peculiar charm hung from a black string around Zera’s neck.

Frisk had never seen Zera in the previous timelines before. She either never showed her face or evacuated to safety when Chara took control. But if what Sans said was true about her being a powerful witch, then Frisk wondered why Zera never stood up and fought.

“N-Nice to meet you, Zera,” said Alphys, extending her claw as she kept the other around Frisk. “I’m Alphys.”

Zera gladly took the hand shake. “Nice to meet you, Alphys. I’m Zera Alveri…although Sans already told you that." She giggled. The hands drifted from the shake. Zera noticed Frisk slumped over Alphys’ back.

“And who might you be?” asked Zera with curious eyes. Frisk lifted out their hand.

“I…I…” began Frisk. They looked up at Chara, who mouthed the words, “Iris.” Frisk then looked back at Zera.

“I’m Iris,” lied Frisk, even though it was clashing with their honest personality. They weren’t technically lying, though; in this time period, Frisk going by Iris would have been correct, but to Sans and Alphys, they knew that wasn’t Frisk’s actual name.

Zera took Frisk’s hand and shook it. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Iris,” she said with a smile. Her smile dropped when she saw the icky, purple color on Frisk’s arm. She examined it with fierce concentration.

“Are you okay?” she asked, looking back at Frisk.

“That’s actually why we came looking for you, Zera,” interrupted Sans. “Iris…they’ve been poisoned.”

Zera gently put down Frisk’s arm. Her face turned from the happy-go-lucky mood to a tone of seriousness.

“Do you know what poison it is?” she asked, monotone. Sans looked over at Frisk.

“Do you know, kid?” asked Sans. Frisk slightly nodded their head.

“Hemlock,” replied Frisk in a quiet voice. By the time Sans turned back around, Zera was already digging through her knapsack. She would fish something out, look at it, and throw it back in.

“You’re lucky you three found me. And you’re also fortunate that I have some Witch’s Gel with me,” said Zera as she searched through her satchel. She let out a triumphant, “Yes!” when she found a glass jar full of teal liquid. A label on the jar read “Witch’s Gel” in cursive handwriting. She unscrewed the jar and placed the lid on her satchel. She gracefully dove her right hand into the gel and scooped up the sparkling mass.

“Sit them on the ground,” instructed Zera. Alphys slowly lowered Frisk down onto the floor. Both her and Sans sat by Frisk’s sides. Chara sat by their head, their eyes filling up with tears.

“Stay determined, Frisk. For the future of our lives,” whispered Chara. A single tear flowed down their cheek.

Zera sat the jar down on the floor. She sat on her knees, ready to apply the gel. “Now, I’m going to warn you; this stuff is going to sting. Seeing how the poison reached up pretty far, it’s going to hurt _really_ bad,” she informed. “Are you ready?”

Frisk nodded with determination, agreeing to Zera’s plan. The witch rubbed her fingers together, spreading the gel evenly. Painstakingly, she placed her hands onto the poisoned wound. Immediately, Frisk felt a sharp sting run across from their arm to their collar line. They screeched in pain. Sans and Alphys squeezed Frisk’s hands tight. As they did so, Zera repeated an ancient spell.

“Gods of Poison, take heed and succumb to the healer’s mercy. Gods of Poison, take leave and flee from this victim’s body,” recited Zera. She quoted the spell over and over, the words rolling off of her tongue like steady waves. Slowly but surely, the ugly colors on Frisk’s body was fading away. The wound was soaking in the gel. The antidote was working.

Frisk’s cries had transformed into heavy breathing, and soon into beats of quiet inhales and exhales. The malformed tint of the hemlock poison had vanished.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief. Frisk shot up from their position and bunched up the front of their leotard with their fist. Sweat dripped down from the top of their forehead to their chin, crashing to the cool floor. Frisk had looked death straight in the eyes and avoided it.

But Frisk was used to _that_ feeling by now.

Sans and Alphys pulled Frisk into a hug, bones and scaly skin colliding with the human’s clammy skin.

“Thank God you’re okay!” rejoiced Alphys. Sans did not need to show his grateful expression, for he simply embraced Frisk tighter. He had seen them on the verge of death multiple times, but did those count? Frisk was showing emotion when they were under the control of the poison. Just by seeing them suffer proved that they were no longer under Chara’s command.

Although Chara could not hug Frisk, they knelt down behind their back and clasped their chest. Frisk was nearly pushed over by Mistress Fate and Lady Time.

But they refused.

And Chara did _not_ want to know what would have happened if Frisk died in the past. They shooed the idea away and filled their mind with hopes and dreams.

Zera watched the friends hug one another. She did not feel left out, though. Instead, questions raced through her mind; why was Sans with a human? Where was Papyrus? Did Sans just leave him there at their house to escort this human and lizard monster towards Hotland?

She _had_ to find out. Sans and Papyrus were like her brothers. If something even happened to one of them, she would go berserk.

“Sans, where is Papyrus?” quaked the witch. At that moment, the three released their grips on Frisk. Sans knew that if Zera found out that Papyrus, the younger of all of them, was found home alone, she would become _too_ motherly and order Sans to go back home.

He didn’t want to lie to his best friend, who was technically his sister, but he had no choice.

“Uh…he’s with Grillby. Told him I’d be running some errands, so I let him there,” fibbed Sans. The skeleton could in Zera's murky white eyes that she did not believe his lie, but accepted it anyway. Besides, it would have been  _terribly_ rude to start a scene with two people Zera did not recognize.

“Okay. I’m just making sure,” spoke Zera. Her friendly gaze looked down at Frisk.

“I’m glad you’re okay. Hemlock poison is the worst of them all,” said Zera with a thankful smile.

“Thank you so much,” said Frisk with appreciation. Zera gathered her things and stuffed them into her satchel. She stood up and swung the bag over her shoulder.

“Well, I’ll go check on Papyrus when I get back to Snowdin. Be careful while you’re in Hotland,” remarked Zera. She waved goodbye as she went the opposite way of the trio. She still couldn’t get those questions out of her mind, though. She could ask Sans when he got back.

When the traveling witch was no longer in their sites, Sans, Alphys, Frisk, and Chara all broke character and collapsed onto one another.

“G-Good lie, Sans,” said Alphys with a hint of sarcasm. Sans gave her a playful push.

“Oh, shut up, Al. You probably couldn’t have thought of somethin’ better,” marveled Sans. Alphys snorted.

Sans looked at Frisk with a warm smile. “We’re just glad you’re okay, kid,” he said, grinning. Frisk, now back to their healthy self, beamed at Sans. But the ambiance of delight soon vanished, as bleak reality washed over the four time travelers. Up ahead, the well-known radiance was clawing at the walls of the cavern. The journey through Waterfall was about to end.

Without the use of words, the four walked towards the light. The slap of their feet were the only sounds that vibrated through the cave.

Frisk closed their eyes, and was swallowed by the light.


	15. Perseverance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is it getting hot in here, or is it just Frisk's intelligence?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS I AM SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED. I'm currently in my school's musical, so I've been super busy with that.  
> But enough about me, let's talk about the fan fic! There's going to be some action soon, guys, so stay tuned!  
> Listen to some music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIholqMNNKo&index=9&list=PLhKnzaOo00mAbk5WiLd1W-uOTCiL2mlHB

Once upon a time, a human fell into the Underground. They did not know where they were, but they were filled with PERSEVERANCE.

* * *

 

The hot, dry air nipped at Frisk’s skin, draining the moisture from their flesh. The rock underneath their body was warm, like a hot spring. A soft, orange light glowed through their eyelids. Even though the warm atmosphere seemed peaceful, Frisk couldn’t ignore the irritation in their body; their lips were chapped and they yearned for water.

The downsides of coming to Hotland: hydration was scarce.

Maybe if Frisk slept a little longer, they could erase the discomfort. But that wouldn’t happen; the scorching temperature was drinking all of the hydration they had left in their body, leaving their skin as dry as a desert.

Frisk felt a hand nudge them at their back. “F-Frisk…wake up,” urged a voice, soothingly. The human did not reply. Couldn’t they sleep a little bit longer?

There was another gentle push. “Wake up, Frisk,” said the voice. They wanted to protest, but their throat was parched.

“They’re usually up first before us,” commented another voice.

“Yeah. M-Maybe they’re tired from all of this time tr-travel,” added the voice. If the voices _really_ wanted Frisk to wake up, then there was no point in arguing. Frisk opened their eyes to see Alphys and Sans looking down upon them. They made space for Frisk once they sat up.

“Welcome back, kid. You slept in,” stated Sans with a grin. “But, you can’t beat me when it comes to sleeping around all day.”

Frisk chuckled as they stood up, brushing rocky sand off from their clothes. They realized that they were once again in new clothing.

A pair of glasses with a small crack on the left lens enhanced Frisk’s vision, surprisingly fitting their ability to see. A black hair tie secured their hair into a short ponytail. The t-shirt they were wearing bore resemblance to their sweater that had been worn what seemed a long life ago, but mauve and violet stripes replaced the classic magenta and blue color scheme.

Frisk’s right arm was etched in black ink, strings of numbers starting from their wrist and ending underneath their bicep. They had no idea what these notes meant, but maybe they would come in handy later in time. Acid washed overalls with pant legs that reached only to Frisk’s knees had pockets that made home to a pen and ruined notebook, with only one, damp page remaining. Brown loafers that were soaked with water covered their feet.

Seeing themself as the reincarnation of Eloise filled Frisk with perseverance.

Frisk snapped themself out of their bedazzlement and looked at Sans and Alphys. “Sorry, I’m just surprised at how I look every time this happens,” they said with a nervous smile. “I should be used to it by now, though.”

Sans places a hand on Frisk’s shoulder. “No need to worry, kid." Frisk gave a warm smile.

Alphys’s keen eyes caught the writing across Frisk’s arms. She pointed at the writing with a clawed finger. “Wh-What’s that on your arm, Frisk?”

Frisk brought their arm closer to their line of vision. The scrutinized it, trying to see what these notes meant.

“I don’t know, actually,” replied Frisk, still identifying the numbers and letters. Alphys bent Frisk’s arm to examine the notes. A single line of notes made Alphys realize what she was looking at. She gasped in shock.

“I-I know this!” she exclaimed. Sans took Frisk’s arm and squinted at the ink. Confusion flooded his eye sockets. He turned back to Alphys, letting Frisk’s arm drop.

“Looks like a jumbled mess to me,” said Sans, shrugging. Alphys lifted Frisk’s arm back up. Her eyes quickly scanned the writing over once more.

“This is code to hack into the Core’s mainframe!” declared Alphys, confidently. “I-I don’t know how the fifth human got these notes, b-but they must mean something in th-this part of time!”

Frisk furrowed their brows. “How is this going to help, though?” they asked. “Is there something about this time section that I don’t know about?”

“During this time period, the Core was just finished, but monsters wanted to make sure that people couldn’t get inside because of all of the dangerous puzzles, so they made a special program for it on workers’ computers,” answered Sans. “So that means no one can get in without giving identification or hacking in, like what-what’s this human’s name again?”

“Eloise,” replied Frisk.

“Right, so Eloise here seemed to have got the code from _somebody_ and is planning on using it to get into New Home,” continued Sans. The white points in his eyes slightly dimmed.

“But I don’t really wanna know _who_ they got that code from.”

Frisk knew who Sans was talking about, and they, too, did not want to find out. They had only seen the man who speaks in hands during their first travel through the Underground, but never struck a conversation with him. Just by hearing his name made Frisk shiver, even in the volcanic temperatures of Hotland.

Alphys looked over at her lab in the distance. Her confidence drastically fell. She let go of Frisk’s arms and twiddled her thumbs.

“If we’re supposed to g-get to the Core, th-then I think we’re gonna h-have to deal with… me…” spoke Alphys, her voice quiet and unsteady. Sans and Frisk gazed at the lab ahead, their pits of worry now sprouting into trees of fear. Sans feared that something dastardly could happen in time space if they happened to come across past Alphys. Frisk feared the unknown, though; worrying that Flowey could be on their trail again and that there would be no possible way to access the next part of time.

Sans clenched his fingers. “I-I guess I can go in and see if you’re in there, Al. Besides, you don’t know me yet…right?”

Alphys turned to Sans. She held her stare for a moment and released it with a shaky sigh. “Y-You can try, but I-I don’t know how I’m going to re-react…”

She lifted her head and took a deep breath. She made her way to her lab, with Sans and Frisk following behind her. While Frisk walked, they felt the familiar, cool breeze brush past them. They stopped and spun around. Chara was behind them, a grin growing across their face. Frisk laughed lightly.

“Missed me?” asked Chara. Frisk smiled.

“Where were you?” Frisk asked, quietly. Chara floated to the left side of Frisk.

“It took me a while to get here. Not everyone arrives on time, you know,” said Chara. Frisk shook their head jokingly.

“So, how does it feel to be a brainiac like Eloise?” asked Chara. Frisk touched their chest.

“I can’t really find the words for it, but it feels…interesting,” whispered Frisk. Chara turned their gaze towards the lab.

“Well, Eloise was an interesting kid, so maybe that’s where it's coming from,” said Chara.

Frisk and Chara caught up with Sans and Alphys, who were now at the entrance of the lab. The lab did not change from time’s movements. It was as if the lab from the present traveled with them back in time.

“So, how are we gonna do this?” asked Sans. Alphys turned around and pushed up her glasses.

“Y-You might need to knock me out,” said Alphys, frowning. Sans lifted up his hands.

“Whoa, are you sure about that? I don’t wanna see the consequences to _that,”_ asked Sans, shocked.

“B-But th-that’s the only way,” said Alphys. “Come on, Sans. It’s just me. I really don’t matter in this timeline."

Sans sarcastically laughed. “Are you kidding me, Al? Look, I don’t know what the hell past-you is doing right now, but it’s probably somethin’ important." He placed his hands on Alphys’ shoulders.

“Not only do you matter _now_ , but there’s someone out there _cares_ for past-you, and I think we all know who that is.”

Alphys’s eyes filled with inspiration. Her shoulders slumped. “I-I’m r-really that important?” she asked. Sans nodded his head.

Alphys smiled at the ground. “Th-Thanks,” she said. Sans lifted his hands away from Alphys’s shoulders.

“No problem at all,” he said with a grin.

Frisk and Chara stood there awkwardly. Frisk was glad to see that their friend was slowly regaining their self-confidence, but what were they supposed to do? They could have offered some words of encouragement, but a friendly moment with Sans and Alphys was to be left alone.

Alphys quickly brushed away the tears that were starting to well up in her eyes. She turned towards Frisk.

“I-If you don’t mind, Frisk, c-could you go in there with Sans?” asked Alphys. “I mean, you _do_ h-have the code on y-your arm, s-so you’re the only one wh-who could type it in.”

Frisk looked at their arm with uncertainty. They may have been skilled with solving puzzles, but hacking into well-developed computer systems was certainly not their cup of golden flower tea. They haven’t even tried hacking before.

But with Frisk’s perseverance and Chara’s determination, they might be able to get through.

Frisk looked up at Alphys and nodded their head. “Let’s do this."

Alphys grinned and knocked on the steel, lab doors. She ran over to the other side of the building and hid behind the corner. Sans looked down at Frisk.

“You ready, kid?” he asked. Frisk eagerly nodded their head.

At the perfect moment, the lab doors opened, revealing a younger Alphys.

Younger Alphys was almost identical to her present-self, except she was a bit smaller and had a different choice of fashion sense. She sported white lab coat and an  _Ichigo Mew Mew_ t-shirt with its correct, cat-like character. Apparently, Younger Alphys had not discovered the wonderful world of _Mew Mew Kissy Cutie_ yet, and had to stick with its ancestor.

Younger Alphys’ glasses were much wider than the ones her present-self was currently wearing, but that was the only difference Frisk spotted. In all, Younger Alphys was similar to Present Alphys, but her personality was yet to be seen.

“C-Can I help you?” asked Younger Alphys in a squeaky voice.

“Stuttering: check,” grunted Chara, mimicking the motion of marking of a piece of paper. Frisk low key waved them off, giving off the “That was rude” vibe.

“Hello there. My name is Sans. Sans the skeleton,” greeted Sans, holding out his hand. Alphys carefully shook his skinny hand.

“I am a-uh-interviewer for the _Snowdin Journal_ and was wondering if I could interview you about being the Royal Scientist?” asked Sans.

Chara moaned in annoyance as Frisk contained their laughter with difficulty. They had already witnessed him squirt ketchup into Younger Undyne’s eyes, and now they were watching him make a fool out of himself in front of Younger Alphys.

Younger Alphys examined Sans from head to toe. Without any word, she opened the door up for him. With an extravagant “thank you,” Sans strolled into the lab with Frisk and Younger Alphys following behind him.

“Oh, that’s my assistant by the way,” said Sans, motioning towards Frisk behind him. Frisk looked at Younger Alphys and gave her a polite nod. The young Royal Scientist did the same.

“I-I’ll go get out some ch-chairs,” said Younger Alphys, rushing for some chairs. When she was no longer in Sans’ sights, her whirled around and knelt down to Frisk.

“I’m gonna distract her while you do what you need to do. I’ll see if I can get her to go upstairs,” whispered Sans. Frisk nodded their head. Sans was about to leave, until Frisk stopped him with a quiet, “Wait!” He spun back around. Frisk fished out their notebook and pen. They handed the items to Sans.

“You already don’t look like an interviewer, but at least have the items for it,” whispered Frisk. Sans chuckled and patted Frisk on the head.

“Good thinking, kiddo,” said Sans.

Younger Alphys came back, pushing an office chair. “Wh-Where would you like to t-talk?” she asked. Sans tapped his chin.

“How about upstairs? Seems like a perfect place to host an interview,” replied Sans. Younger Alphys hesitantly nodded her head and pushed the chair away from her. Sans followed behind her, bidding Frisk goodbye with a wink.

Once they were out of their sight, Frisk ran towards the desktop computer and hopped into the conveniently-placed office chair. Chara flew over to the escalator that went downward, keeping watch for Sans and Younger Alphys.

Frisk minimized Younger Alphys’s tabs full of anime and UnderNet notifications. A background screen of an anime princess wielding a sparkling, magenta sword came into view. Cringing at the sight, Frisk moved the mouse arrow over to the hot bar containing an icon of a website window labeled, “C. C.” Frisk tapped the left button of the mouse. Within seconds, a black screen appeared.

Green, typewriter-like letters blinked in front of Frisk’s vision, asking for a password. Frisk did not want to take any chances with guessing a password, so they looked at their arm for help. In messy handwriting, one of the first words on Frisk’s wrist said “F11 and F4.” Frisk looked down upon the grimy keyboard and pressed the F11 and F4 buttons simultaneously. When they looked back up, they noticed the screen had changed words.

A flashing arrow pointed at the words “CORE MANAGEMENT.” The three other choices were “SECURITY CHECK,” “CODE,” and, “CORE LAYOUT.” Frisk looked at their arm once again to see that the next step. The words of the fourth option led Frisk to the next screen.

A pixelated map of the Core popped up onscreen. Already overwhelmed by the complexity, Frisk quietly called Chara over for help. Chara flew over and studied the screen.

“This is _really_ outdated,” mumbled Chara.

“No kidding,” commented Frisk.

Chara used their finger as a guide to travel through the map. After a minute, they found the entrance to the CORE. They started from there and moved through the 2-D maze as Frisk scrolled through the map.

Chara spotted the actual CORE on the map. “There!” they shouted. Frisk saw a boring, yellow square that resembled the CORE in map-form. They double clicked on the square and was transported to a new page.

Lines of code appeared before Frisk’s eyes. Their jaw opened at the sight. Chara bit their lip and flew back over to the escalator, not wanting to bother with the problem.

“Please help,” whispered Frisk to their arm. They started at the first number they saw and typed it into the first code. They continued this process with the rest of the numbers they had on their arm.

Chara shrieked with fright when they heard Younger Alphys stand up. “I-I really should be w-working r-right now,” she said. Chara and Frisk exchanged anxiety-filled faces.

“How about we finish up the rest of these questions? Don’t worry, they won’t take too long,” said Sans. The two children breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you, Sans,” said Frisk under their breath. They resumed to typing in the numbers and letters into the code, until there was nothing left. The only note that could save Frisk was the word “ENTER.”

Frisk stared at the ENTER button. They bit their lip and brought their index finger close to the button. With a shaking finger, Frisk pressed the button. A loading screen with a three dots appearing and disappearing came into view. Frisk crossed their fingers and held their breath. Their perseverance _had_ to help them in their time of need.

And Lady Luck was simply being too kind to Frisk today.

“CORE DOORS STATUS: UNLOCKED” materialized from yellow text. Frisk silently celebrated their victory. A soft, red light glimmered on the giant monitor beside the computer. “Core Status” on a piece of duct tape labeled the light.

Frisk motioned Chara to come over. They excitedly pointed at the computer screen. Chara joined in their victory by squealing with delight. Frisk quickly exited out of the program and ran towards the escalator going up. When they reached the top, they saw Sans writing what Younger Alphys was saying in the ruined notebook. He spotted Frisk and shut the book. He stood up and tucked the pen and notebook away in his pockets.

“Well, it was nice talkin’ with you, Dr. Alphys. I’ll notify you when your interview is published,” said Sans. He bowed to Younger Alphys and walked down the escalator. Frisk nodded their head at Younger Alphys and ran towards Sans.

Sans greeted Frisk at the end of the escalator going down. He mouthed, “Well?” Frisk replied with an excited nod. Sans’ smile grew wider. He led the way out of the lab with a spring in his step.

Sans, Frisk, and Chara walked back out in the hot climate of Hotland. Sans spun Frisk around with glee. "You did it, kid!" he exclaimed. 

Frisk laughed with delight as they were spun around by the skeleton. Alphys ran in from her hiding spot. “D-Did you guys do it?" she asked.

Frisk and Sans nodded their heads. A goofy smile spread across Alphys’s face. She ran up to Frisk and hugged them. “I knew you could do it!” she cried.

The joy and cheer lasted for a while. Sans told how he acted as an interviewer for the _Snowdin Journal_ while Frisk explained the difficulty of the hacking process. Alphys was pleased with the news.

“See? I didn’t even have to use violence,” said Sans, patting Alphys on the back.

“W-Well, anything can h-happen, right?” said Alphys, blushing. Sans gave her a wide smile.

“Come on, guys! We need to get going!” shouted Frisk, who was already ahead of Sans and Alphys. The two ran towards Frisk and began to make their way to the Core.

The completion of solving the hacking puzzle filled Frisk with perseverance.


	16. The Dead Kid's Hangout Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey hey! Here’s the next chapter! Enjoy.

_“After that, the elevator should be opened for your personal use,” said the mystery man with his hands. “I have not been around long enough to see the process of the Core, but I would be careful if I were you; entering the structure while it is still in its raw creation is dangerous. I would assume that guardsmen are on the lookout for anyone who comes by, whether they are man or monster.”_

_The child silently nodded their head and stood up. “_ _Thank you_ _,” they said, fingers quick to move with gratefulness. They twirled around and headed for the door. They hopped out of the blank room, leaving the mystery man to his solitude. He sighed and slumped to the ground._

_“Oh Eloise, even if you do try with your perseverance, you will end up with a spear in your stomach like every other before you,” sighed the man._

_Unfortunately, he was right._

* * *

 The group of four jumped onto a conveyor belt that lead to the next part of Hotland, laughing until their stomachs hurt. Frisk playfully punched Sans in the arm.

 _“ Snowdin Journal?_ Really?” teased Alphys. “Do you think she believed that?”

Sans looked at her with a smile. “Well, would _you_ have believed it, Al? If some monster dressed like me came and said they were some journalist?”

Alphys shrugged as she chuckled. “I-I probably didn’t care afterwards.” She gained control of herself and turned to Frisk. “S-So, were those n-notes any help, Frisk?”

Frisk nodded their head. They stared at the notes on their arm with astonishment. “I just followed the numbers as they appeared and typed them in.” They laughed. “To be honest, I didn’t think it was gonna work…”

Alphys patted them on the back. “W-Well, you did good!”

Frisk’s heart swelled with pride. Working with computers wasn’t their cup of tea, but they managed to open the entrance to the Core. Either it was a simple hacking process or their perseverance, Frisk still felt proud of their handiwork.

The pride flushed out of their body when they saw the glowing light up ahead.

Simultaneously, the group stopped in their tracks. None of them expected to see a portal so early in their adventure with Eloise. Even Chara was dumbfounded.

“I-It’s so early, though,” breathed Alphys. “Was opening the Core entrance even worth it?”

“Maybe it’ll affect us in the future,” guessed Sans, quietly.

Without waiting for a signal, Frisk walked closer towards the light. Chara hesitantly floated behind them, unsure of what they would encounter next. Would they still be in Hotland?

Only the future could tell.

Sans and Alphys glanced at each other with looks of doubt. The skeleton shrugged and followed Frisk. Alphys inhaled and scurried after them.

* * *

 

Six children sat in a circle, busying themselves with petty movements. A petite girl in a turquoise dress played patty cake with her friend who sported a dusty tutu. A boy who tried to look tough sat in the corner, scoffing at the two girls. A child scribbled on the last piece of paper they had, doodling pictures of a giant machine that sat over a pool of lava. A dark skinned boy tapped his frying pan of the white floor, bored out of his mind. A teenager in a cowboy hat silently played with his toy guns, aiming at invisible targets. The boy in the bandanna growled and stood up. All eyes were on him.

“How long is it going to take them to finish? I’ve been sitting here doing absolutely _nothing!”_ boomed the boy. The girl in the dress stopped the game and stood up.

“August, you just have to be patient. Frisk and Chara are doing their best, and you know that,” countered the girl in a calm voice. August huffed in response. The ballerina looked up at her patient friend.

“But May, we don’t even know where they are. They could still be in _your_ part of time for all we know,” said the ballerina.

May sighed. “Well, we just have to have faith, Iris…”

“Besides, Frisk has jumped through time before,” remarked the boy with the frying pan. “I bet you they’re already in Flint’s story.”

Flint glanced at the boy, but returned his attention back to his toy guns.

“But how can you have faith in Frisk when they sold their soul to Chara, Jacob?” asked August, coldly. He pinched his eyebrows. “I can’t believe you have faith in _everybody_. Even Chara.”

Jacob shrugged with a smile. “Momma always told me to be kind to people, so I’m being kind to Frisk by believing in them.”

“If only there was a way we could see where they were now,” murmured Iris, tapping her chin as she thought.

The child who was scribbling in their notebook looked up at the group of kids. Their eyes lit up. They tucked the notebook in their pocket and ran over to Iris. They tugged on her arm, getting her attention.

“Hm? Is something wrong, Eloise?” asked Iris. A determined smile grew across Eloise’s face.

“I know a person who can help us,” spoke Eloise.

An irritated “Ngaaah!” escaped through August’s lips. “Nobody knows what you’re saying!”

Iris shot him a dirty look. “Please forgive him, Eloise.” She looked back at the child. “Could you say that again?”

Eloise repeated the hand movements at a slower pace. Iris spoke the words that the child signed.

“Person who...can, um, help,” read Iris. She gasped. “You know a person who can help us?”

Eloise eagerly nodded their head.

“Eloise knows a person who can help us!” exclaimed Iris. The kids looked at each other with confusion.

“How could you know someone that _isn’t_ dead?” asked May. Iris looked at Eloise, awaiting an answer.

“Well, this person isn’t dead, but he isn’t alive, either,” said Eloise, blushing.

August groaned. “Stop talking riddles, Eloise! You may know this ‘mystery man,’ but nobody else knows who you’re talking about!”

“August, be nice,” scolded Jacob. He turned his gaze towards Eloise. “What does this guy look like, Ellie?”

“He’s a monster...I think,” said Eloise, scratching the top of their head.

August scoffed. “Great, smart kid doesn’t even know what this man is."

“ _August!"_ snapped Iris. Her stern glare brought August down. She turned back to Eloise. “Continue, Eloise.”

“Right,” said Eloise. They stuck their tongue out at August, who wasn’t paying attention. “This monster is just a big mass of black, drippy stuff. And he has a white face with a black line by his eyes.” They indicated the markings by drawing an imaginary line with their index finger on each side of their face; one line starting from their right eye and stopping at their jawline while the other line beginning at the top of their left eye and halting at their temple. 

Flint gasped quietly and stood up, shocked. The children looked at him.

“Is something wrong, Flint?” asked May.

“I know who you’re talking about, Eloise,” whispered Flint. He walked closer to the group. “There was this monster I encountered in Waterfall when I was alive. He goes by the name of W.D. Gaster.” He frowned. “I don’t know why he was interested in me, but we had a little conversation. Told me stories about the war with the humans and everything.“ He looked at the ground, puzzled. “He was the previous Royal Scientist before Alphys, whoever _that_ is, but an important detail he talked about was how he fell into the Core. He didn’t actually die though, like Eloise said.”

Eloise’s mouth gaped open. “You’ve met him, too?”

Flint nodded his head. “I bet you Gaster can help us see what Frisk and Chara are up to right now. We just need to look hard enough.”

August’s head jerked up. “You mean we have to find this man _ourselves?”_

Iris exhaled angrily and stood up. She marched over to August annd pinched his cheek hard. “Stop complaining about stupid things or I’ll have Chara possess _you!”_  August quickly stood up at the sound of the threat and apologized.

May shook her head and turned towards Flint. “Do you know where we can find Gaster?”

“I-I have no clue, actually,” admitted Flint. “I found him by traveling through a white door, but who knows when it’ll appear again…”

The white room suddenly went quiet. Iris stopped her scolding and August froze in his fighting stance. The “Dead Kid’s Hangout Room” (as Jacob liked to call it) was eerily silent. It was usually quiet when no one else was talking, but every kid could hear their own non-existent heartbeats.

“Perhaps I can be of assistance" stated a voice.


	17. Kindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can kindness change the heart of a demon?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is pretty much fluff, but don't worry; the next chapter is CRAZY.

Once upon a time, a human fell into the Underground. They did not know where they were, but they were filled with KINDNESS.

* * *

It did not take long for Frisk to awake from their slumber. The second they opened their eyes and adjusted to the hazy, orange fog and rising temperature, they knew they were still in Hotland. They rubbed their eyes, focusing on the puzzles ahead. They slumped, wishing Papyrus was with them at this point.

Their eyes caught Sans and Alphys standing in front of them, backs turned. They looked to their left to see Chara floating beside them. Frisk pushed themself off of the dirt to join the two monsters, but Chara flew in front of them, smirking

“Hold on, we have to do the daily fashion check," they said. They laughed as they backed up to see Frisk.

A pink apron with a red heart hugged Frisk’s neck and waist. An evergreen turtleneck clothed their upper body. Their lower half was protected by jean shorts that touched their kneecaps. On their feet was a pair of yellow boots with crummy, white socks crawling out from underneath. They carried a burnt frying pan in their left hand.

Seeing themself in a comfy outfit filled Frisk with kindness.

“Jacob could always pull off those boots,” commented Chara as they pointed to the funky shoes.

"And now I can, too," smiled Frisk. Out of all of the outfits they had worn, they admired Jacob’s the most.

Frisk turned their gaze back to Sans and Alphys. They walked up to them, joining in on the conversation.

“I don’t know what year this is taking place in, but the Core’s entrance has got to be opened, right?” asked Sans with uncertainty.

Alphys bit her lip. “I-I have no idea. I mean, there has tobe a reason why Frisk went th-through all of that hacking stuff. It would be useless if they didn’t…”

Out of the corner of his eye socket, Sans spotted Frisk. He turned around with a grin. “Lookin’ good, Frisk."

Frisk slung the frying pan over their shoulder and tugged on the collar of their shirt. “I’m actually burning up in this."

Sans laughed as he pulled at Frisk’s sleeves. “Bad fashion choice, Whatever-Kid-Frisk-Is." He released his grip and turned towards his right, watching the unfinished Core overlap the lava sea. “Al and I were talking about how the Core entrance might not be open."

“Why do you say that?” asked Frisk, staring out into the glowing waves of lava.

“W-Well, it was a bit abrupt to just jump forward in time like that," explained Alphys, so, wh-who knows if th-the gate is still opened? I-It's always been locked anyhow."

Sans held his gaze on the Core. Was the MTT Resort in the final stages of being built? It if wasn’t finished, then Sans assumed that there would be guards around as well.

“If the MTT Resort isn't finished yet, then we’ll have to deal with Royal Guards there, too," he added. "It's almost done, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few guys to guard the place from troublemakers."

Alphys sighed. "You can't be serious."

“Don’t worry, Al, we just gotta see what we can do,” he reassured.

"Alright," she grunted. She headed down the dirt pathway with Sans by her side. Frisk followed behind, fanning themself with their hand.

Chara, though, was destined to go somewhere else.

Frisk noticed that their friend wasn’t moving along. They stopped and motioned them come. Chara shook their head, eyes fixed on the cavern ceiling.

“Something’s not right,” they mumbled.

Frisk walked up to them. “What are you talking about?”

Chara’s eyes darted towards Frisk. “I gotta go check up on something. You keep going on with Sans and Alphys."They turned their back and floated the other way.

Frisk, knowing that demanding an answer would be futile, took a gulp and obediently caught up to Sans and Alphys,

“Some people shouldn’t be sticking their noses where they don't belong,” grumbled Chara.

* * *

 

While Eloise stared at the man with astonishment, the other kids hung onto each other with fright. Flint glared at the monster, his fingertips caressing his guns, in case the monster tried to attack.

He and Eloise knew this man well from their travels in the Underground. His whole life was swallowed in mystery. He never spoke a word about his past, despite his tragic death.

W.D. Gaster was neither friend _or_ foe.

The black amalgamate slithered up to the children. His eerie smile set the tone of the room. 

“Salutations, children,” greeted Gaster as he bowed.

Eloise ran up to him and waved their hand wildly. “Do you remember me, Mr. Gaster?”

“Ah, Eloise Melling,” recalled Gaster, kneeling down to Eloise’s height. “So good to see you again.” He exchanged several words to the child in sign language, the others watching them with a mixture of fright and curiousity.

“This guy looks _nothing_ like a monster,” whispered Jacob to May.

She nodded her head in agreement. “He kinda looks like a skeleton.”

Flint strode up to Gaster and coughed to make his appearance known. Gaster looked up at him and smiled. He stood up and brushed himself off.

“How have you been, Flint Mertins?” he asked. He held out his hand.

Flint shook it, keeping his eyes on the suspicious monster. As soon as they released hands, Gaster walked towards the huddled children. 

“And you all must be the other fallen children,” he remarked.

August nodded his head for the rest of the children. “And who the heck are you?”

“I am W.D. Gaster, the previous Royal Scientist,” spoke the monster, “and you must be August Delari, correct?”

August nodded his head as he hid the tiny piece of fear that clawed at his insides. 

“Now then, I assume you all want to see where your dear friends, Frisk and Chara, are now,” hypothesized Gaster, a sly smirk spread across his face.

“We were hoping you could pull up something that would allow us to see them,” said Eloise.

Gaster tapped his fingers together. “I can do that, but under one condition…”

“What is it?” asked Flint, irritated.

Gaster shot an eerie glare at the children, his bony index finger touching his black smile. “This is all our little secret. I wouldn’t recommend telling anyone who might pop in.”

The children gave muddled looks to Gaster. He waved his hand at them. “Ah, don’t worry about it. They shouldn’t be coming here anyway.” He turned his back on the children. “Now then, let us begin.”

He snapped his fingers, summoning a screen out of thin air. Yellow words flashed on a backdrop of blue. The children were drawn to the screen like flies to food.

“What is _that?”_ asked Jacob.

“This, children, is what the world is made up of,” stated Gaster, pointing at the screen. “Ever since I fell into the Core, I was given the ability to transverse through space time, and look at the world’s code.”

August scoffed. “What kind of school did you go to, Mystery Man? Everyone knows that Earth revolves around the sun, not some dumb numbers.”

Gaster kept his eyes on the screen. “Yes, our world does revolve around a titanic orb of fiery gas in space, but there is more to that. Think of this code as what makes up our world in a different way instead of elements and chemicals.” He flashed August a devious smile. “And I don’t see _you_ being the Royal Scientist.”

August’s mouth opened in shock. May and Iris snickered behind his back.

Gaster touched the floating commands with his fingers. The children busied themselves with other activities while he searched through the world files. A few clicks later, he brought up another screen.

“Aha! I found it,” exclaimed Gaster. The children formed back into the half circle around the scientist. Their eyes widened in surprise.

The large screen showed Frisk, dressed in Jacob's attire, walking around Hotland with Sans and Alphys. Jacob squealed with joy.

“Frisk is in _my_ adventure!” blurted out Jacob, excited. August slapped his hand over his mouth in response as they silently watched Frisk.

Eloise tugged on Gaster’s hand. He looked at the child. “What is it, Eloise ?”

“Why would it be bad if someone found out we were doing this ?” they asked.

Gaster wrapped his fingers around one another, sighing. “Well, it would- ”

Abruptly, the screen disappeared. The children gasped, a cloud of bedlam hanging over the room. Gaster looked at the empty space with disbelief.

“Gaster, bring it back!” commanded Flint.

With shaking hands, Gaster tried to return the screen, but his magic would not work.

“This shouldn’t be happening,” muttered Gaster, flustered.

Iris, Jacob, and May held onto each other, fear overcoming them. August and Flint brought their weapons up in alarm. Eloise held onto Gaster’s lower half.

 _Someone_ had "hacked" into the room, and to prove it, a haunting voice silenced them all.

“Greetings.”

Everyone in the room held onto their breath. Gaster whirled around to see another child behind the group. The unwavering grip on the knife and the choppy, brown hair gave Gaster all of the clues he needed to figure out who this figure was.

A devilish smile spread across the child’s face. “Don’t you know it’s awfully rude to eavesdrop on people?”

Eloise released themself from Gaster. Gaster stood in front of the children, the pinpricks in his eye sockets burning with blue and orange.

“It has been quite some time since I have seen you, _Chara_ ,” hissed Gaster.

The grip on Chara’s knife tightened. “It’s been awhile since I’ve gained some experience, don’t you think, _Gaster?”_

The group of children were pushed back by Flint’s inaudible commands. Only Gaster and Chara stood in the center of the room, their eyes burning with the desire to fight.

The FIGHT button appeared before Chara’s eyes. Their hand floated above the button.

“So, tell me, Dr. Gaster,” spoke Chara. They tilted their head up, revealing a blood red eye that wasn’t concealed by their bangs.

“W̸̵̕i҉̀l̛̕l̵̶ ̡͢y̷͏͝ơ͠ù̸͢r͟ ҉̵s̕o̷͟u͏̀̕l ̕͢s̡͟͞u̴͞f̴̡̀f͡͡í̡c̴̢e̕҉ ͢t̴̕͢h̸͜e̶̢ ̛p͘͟ą̢ý̶̡m҉en͜t̢͢?͘͡”


	18. Anticipation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen to some music while you're reading, too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZZnAdTX3nk v=2ZZnAdTX3nk&index=11&list=PLhKnzaOo00mAbk5WiLd1W-uOTCiL2mlHB  
> I was inspired to write this fight scene by the wonderful Dreemurr Reborn's video. You can watch it here (and be sure to check out their Tumblr @dreemurr-reborn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=786bb0vGdJM

_“We’ve met before, haven’t we?”_

_“I believe so.”_

_Golden flower petals danced in the wind, brushing past the child's wicked smile._

_"You thought you could hide in the shadows, away from me?"_

_"I didn't hide, I merely stepped out of your fury, like one with intelligence would." He frowned. "You have no control here. You never did."_

_“Now...who said_ you _were the one in control?”_

* * *

The room was swallowed in darkness. A pair of red eyes were the only source of illumination. As quick as lightning, the figure charged at Gaster with a series of turquoise and orange attacks, the sound of a knife flying close to his ear ringing throughout the room. He bent over and backwards as the sharp blade tried to slash his face.

“Interesting...I thought that would have ended you off,” spoke the figure, a twisted grin plastered onto their face.

“You are talking to the only person who had survived his fall into the Core, Chara,” pointed out Gaster, unamused.

A snicker came from the child. “And you are talking to the person who has murdered countless people in their path."

Chara leapt forward and swung their knife around. Gaster easily defended himself from the child, yet he knew he wouldn’t be able to dodge all the time.

And was he correct; the knife plunged into his body, taking the breath out of him.

But falling into the Core had perks; sure, a regular monster would've been injured greatly, but for Gaster, he didn't feel most of the pain.

“I knew there was something strange about you. That unsettling feeling, that was _you,_ wasn’t it?” asked Chara, pulling their knife out of Gaster.

“Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t,” said Gaster as he clutched his chest. He summoned two Gasterblasters to his side. They opened their jaws, forming blue spheres of light. They unleashed their unfathomable power, hoping to burn Chara into ashes.

But Chara had seen the Gasterblasters too many times to count. They already knew how to avoid them.

The smoke cleared up, revealing Chara, their back arched and smile wide like a cheshire cat. Their knees and face were slightly scarred with burn marks. They sent yet another array of knife attacks at Gaster, missing the scientist only by an inch.

A rusty knife and determination were a deadly concoction.

And that concoction created Chara.

“I blame _all_ of you for not helping Frisk when they needed it the most,” sneered Chara. “You all stood by idly, not even _thinking_ about donating your powers.” They dug their knife into Gaster’s body. He held in his screams and kicked Chara off of him. He clutched the hole in his gooey body and watched the injury repair itself. 

“Time is not a mistress to challenge,” countered Gaster. “If we decided to lend you and Frisk our powers, do you know how much damage that would cause in space time?” The dots of white in his sockets dimmed. “And we were simply looking at you and Frisk to see how your journey was going. Is that too much for you?”

Gaster charged towards Chara as his hand blazed with a violent, dark blue. The child's empty soul gleamed blue and was sent high in the sky as Gaster threw them about like a ragdoll. Chara yelped as their face constantly collided with the blank floor. Gaster released the magic, dropping his hand and catching his breath.

Chara grit their teeth as they weakly pushed themself off of the ground. “Yes, because _you_ helped them.” They pointed their knife at the children. “You jumped into this mess like you belonged in it in the first place. This was our journey _alone_ _.”_

Gaster sighed as he summoned another Gasterblaster. He closed his eye sockets from exhaustion as the magical weapon attacked.

All of this seemed so familiar to him. After all, he _had_ murdered humans before. But that was another tale to tell in the future.

There was a child to be a taught a lesson as of now.

He opened his eyes to see that the Gasterblaster did a number on the child; burn marks decorated their pink cheeks and bruises covered their legs. They let out a howl of fury and darted towards the him. They pushed him into the ground and stabbed him multiple times without mercy. The six children gasped and covered their eyes, pushing the horrors in front of them away from their sight.

Gaster growled in irritation and pushed Chara off of him. His left eye glowed with a brilliant orange, as did his hand. He snapped his fingers and sent a volley of orange, magical bones towards Chara. They ran through the bones like grass in a field, knowing their true intent of damage if they ever did stop.

Gaster cursed under his breath and backhanded Chara the second they close to him. They tumbled to the ground, clutching their cheek.

"I'm...not going to give up  _th-that_ easily," they snarled. They tried to stand up, but Gaster rose spears of bones from the ground, piercing the child's legs. They screamed in agony and hacked away at the bones, cursing at Gaster in a low, garbled voice.

The scientists was not hoping to continue the battle on any longer. His main job was only to seek out the six children and help them see where Chara and Frisk were at. He did not intend to battle the first child, but that seemed obtrusive in his path of aid.

Oh, well. It was coming to a close anyhow. 

Gaster walked up to the child and glared at them, removing the sharp pieces bones from their legs. “I see you have no intention of learning the physics of time travel.”

Chara’s nails scratched at the white floor. “Spying on us...and n-not helping us is pathetic of not just you...but all of those-those  _back stabbers."_

Gaster craned his neck to see the children, more relaxed than they were before now that the battle seemed to be over.

The MERCY button formed in front of Gaster. No ACT, no FIGHT, only MERCY. With an exaggerated sigh, he touched the button, a familiar  _ding_ ringing throughout the room.

Chara looked up from their despair. "D-Do you _really_ want to do that?” 

“I did not have a choice, and besides; you cannot kill something that is neither dead or living,” remarked Gaster, slightly annoyed as he held out his hand.

Chara glanced at the bony fingers, and then at Gaster. They bit their lip and grudgingly too his hand. They stood up and wiped their mouth grimly.

"Now, I think you owe these children an apology, and to myself," said Gaster, his hand motioning towards the children.

Chara furrowed their eyebrows in disgust and blew a piece of brown hair out of their face. “Why should I? You all stalked Frisk and I and didn’t even help."

“I already told you, Chara, if those children lent their powers to you while you were back in time, it could have caused some rips in this world,” explained Gaster, losing his patience. “And I don’t think you want this pretty world to end yet. Not while Frisk is amending the problems you caused.”

Chara glared at the scientist, but released it as the realization hit them. He was right; Chara was too busy focusing on the their past life and hurrying back to the present, they didn't begin to think how Frisk was handling all of this. They were probably worried of where Chara was right now since they left on a short notice.

Frisk didn't deserve to go through all of the time-traveling shenanigans that Chara put them in. But in order to get back to Frisk, they unfortunately  _had_ to apologize to the children.

Chara sighed and walked over to the fretting children. Flint wrapped his fingers around one of his guns, still suspicious of the child.

“I’m sorry,” muttered Chara.

The human children looked at each other. August took a step forward, arms crossed. “You know, you didn’t _have_ to fight."

A laugh came from May. “Says the guy who _always_ picks fights."

 _“Hey!”_ hissed August. He turned his glare back to Chara. “But seriously though, why are you so mad over us watching you? Don'tcha think it's better that you've got people watching your backs?"

Chara turned their gaze to the floor. “I’ve been spied on before. I think it’s safe to say that I didn’t want you guys watching us.” They frowned. "Besides, what good could you guys even do? It's not like you can come down and protect us or anything."

“No, that’s reasonable,” spoke Iris. “You had every right to feel that. We shouldn't have spied on you and Frisk, but we wanted to make sure you two were safe.”

“But... _why?"_  asked Chara. The children circled around them.  _“Why_ did you all fuse with Frisk’s soul? I didn’t deserve another chance. Frisk did, but not me.”

The kids looked at each other, biting the insides of their cheeks. Flint bowed his head and walked up to Chara, kneeling down to their height.

“We think you did,” he answered, “you and Frisk both.”

Chara brought their head down. “I just don’t understand why that resetted the entire timeline.”

Eloise jumped up and down as they ran towards Chara. “Determination!”

Chara looked down at the younger child and tilted their head. “What are you talking about?”

Before Eloise could begin explaining, Gaster walked over and placed his hand on the the young child's shoulder. “I believe yours-or should I say Frisk’s- determination was so strong, that it beckoned the other children’s souls to it like a moth drawn to a flame." He glanced down at the child beside him. "Am I correct, Eloise ?”

Eloise eagerly nodded their head. “Exactly. And when that happened, we were given the chance to reset the entire timeline.” The movement of their hand gestures slowed down as their face settled into an austere expression. “My theory so far is that this fusion acted like a ‘game over’ to both you two and us, so we didn't do a regular reset, but a true reset .”

“An interesting concept,” complimented Gaster, ruffling Eloise’s hair. “You would have made a perfect Royal Scientist assistant.”

Chara sighed and walked over to the end of the room. “Fine, don’t help us then. Frisk and I can get through this by _ourselves_ _.”_

They snapped their fingers and within an instant, they disappeared from the Dead Kid’s Hangout Room. The children let out relieved sighs and crowded back around Gaster.

“That was scary, to be honest,” said Iris, clutching her elbow.

“I can assure you that Chara did not even unleash their full power during that battle,” said Gaster, placing a skeletal hand on the child’s shoulder.

Iris looked up at the scientist with curiosity. “Wait, you mean you seen Chara before?”

“You meet many people when you are stuck in the void,” said Gaster with a wink.

“Alright, alright, you did your job, so can you go now?” asked Flint, irritated.

Gaster turned to Flint, clasping his hands together. "Well, since I am being pushed out so soon, I may as well take my leave. But who knows when I shall return?”

Flint blinked his eyes to see that Gaster had left. He pulled his hands away from his guns and collapsed to the floor, massaging his temples. The other children made a circle around him and did what they did best; nothing.


	19. Embarrassment by Glamour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Take a wild guess about this chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you read the update post on my Tumblr for this fan fic? If you haven't, read it here: http://fallentale.tumblr.com/post/141004578016/amends-of-a-homicidal-human-updates-and-mystery  
> Listen to some music while you're reading (this music suggestion is an extended version, so feel free to end it whenever you please): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go0BK5IG8nE&list=PLhKnzaOo00mAbk5WiLd1W-uOTCiL2mlHB&index=12

“And here we are!” exclaimed Alphys.

Frisk tilted their head up to see the bright, flashing sign of the MTT Resort. The building looked the same as its future counterpart, give or take a few details, such as Catty and Bratty’s store disappearance and a purple carpet leading into the lobby instead of a red one.

“So, I’m guessing you’ve already built Mettaton at this point?” asked Sans.

Alphys nodded her head. “Y-Yeah. If we do run into him, I doubt he’ll recognize Frisk, seeing how he doesn’t know what a human is...yet.” She made her way for the door and beckoned her friends to follow.

The sliding doors opened for Frisk, Sans, and Alphys. As it was for the outside, the inside of MTT Resort still looked the same; the MTT-Brand Burger Emporium still served hungry customers. The fountain in the center of the lobby flowed with crystal water (but no Mettaton statue was there to spill the liquid all over the velvet carpet), and as always, the resort was busy with people traveling to and from the capital.

“Hey, Al, I’m kinda hungry from all of this time traveling stuff,” remarked Sans. “Can we get some food?” He pointed to the burger shop.

Alphys felt a hungry ache in her stomach. “N-Now that you mention it, I’m hungry, too.” She searched her lab coat pockets and fished out a handful of gold coins. She counted the amount of money to herself. “400 gold coins. That can get us three glamburgers.”

Sans turned to Frisk, ruffling the child’s hair. “Well kiddo, you hungry, too?”

Frisk happily nodded their head. “I’m starving.”

Sans nodded his head and looked at Alphys. “Welp, let’s go order some grub. You stay right here, kiddo.”

Sans and Alphys made their way into the Burger Emporium. Frisk sat themself on one of the chairs by a potted ficus. They sighed and fiddled with their frying pan.

“Hey,” greeted a voice.

Frisk jumped and saw a floating Chara in front of their face. Frisk clutched the front of their shirt.

“Where were you?” they asked, frightened.

Chara sat on the chair beside them.  “I had to deal with some business…”

Frisk frowned. “I don’t believe that.”

Chara’s arms hung lazily off the chair. “If I told you, you’d be _really_ mad.”

“Well, I already am because you didn’t tell me where you went,” countered Frisk.

Chara sighed loudly and looked at their friend. “Alright, alright, I’ll tell you,” they said, waving their hand at Frisk. They paused for a moment. “I went and saw the kids…”

Frisk rose an eyebrow in confusion. “What _kids?”_

“You know, the six fallen humans?”

“And what did you do?”

Chara remained silent. Blush filled their cheeks. “I-I got into a fight with them. Well, not specifically the kids, but this guy-”

Frisk buried their face into their hands. “Chara, you can’t just fight people unexpectedly. Why did you even go and see them?”

“Because they were spying on us!” exclaimed Chara. “Ever since we got to Hotland, I felt like someone was watching us. So I trusted my instincts and checked on the kids. And you should’ve seen them!” They waved their hands about. “They were watching you and Sans and Alphys on this giant screen!“ They slumped. “This monster named Gaster was there, too. He was the one who started this spying situation, so I fought him.”

“Remind me, who's Gaster again?” asked Frisk.

Chara glanced at them, shocked. “You don’t know who Gaster is?”

"I've only seen the guy once. I barely know anything about him."

Chara sunk into their chair. “If anything, I thought Sans would’ve told you, but that guy’s full of secrets."

“Well, can _you_ tell me who he is?” asked Frisk.

Chara crossed their arms and closed their eyes, recalling the tale of mysterious monster. “Gaster was the previous Royal Scientist before Alphys. He was the one who built the Core.” They nodded their head towards the door at the far end of the room labeled, “Core.” “He made some cool stuff, but one day, he fell into the Core...but he didn’t actually die. Something about his soul kept him from dying.

“When he 'died,' _I_ was already dead, so I met him a couple of times during my journey with the kids. I sensed something weird about him, so I fought him too many times to count. And when I saw him with the kids, I attacked...again."

Frisk opened their mouth, only to be cut off by Sans calling, “We’ve got the food.”

Frisk turned around to see Sans carrying a greasy paper bag. “Why don’t we go into the dining room and eat there?” he suggested. Frisk nodded their head and stood up, following Sans and Alphys.

They arrived in the restaurant. Not a single monster was seen. Frisk ran up to one of the dining tables and sat in it, patiently awaiting their food. Sans and Alphys sat in the other chairs. The skeleton pulled out three glamburgers wrapped in silver paper. He handed one to Frisk and Alphys.

“Thank you,” said Frisk and Alphys, simultaneously.

Frisk unwrapped the burger and took a bite out of it, filling their empty stomach. They picked off one of the pink, edible sequins from the bun and popped it in their mouth, washing their tastebuds in a sugary flavor.

“T-To be honest, I’ve never had a glamburger before…” admitted Alphys.

Sans swallowed his piece of glamburger. “Mettaton never made you try one?”

Alphys shook her head. “He kind of forgot about me after he became f-famous.” She bit into her burger as she stared at the crinkled piece of silver paper.

“Well, once this stuff is over with, maybe he’ll realize how great you are,” reassured Sans.

Alphys smiled. “Th-Thanks, Sans."

As Sans was about to reply, sudden cries came from the lobby. The three stopped in mid-chew and stood up from their chairs. Monsters entered the room and crowded around an unidentifiable object, blocking the group's view.

“Mettaton! Like, sign my picture of you!” cried a fan.

“No, no! Like, sign my  _butt!_ ” exclaimed another.

Frisk and Chara looked at each other with raised eyebrows while Alphys stared at the crowd, bewildered. Her body quivered.

“Al, what’s wrong?” asked Sans, noticing his friend’s incoming fear.

Alphys looked at her friend, anxious. “M-M-Mettaton’s here.”

“So?” shrugged Sans.

“So? _So_ _?”_ mocked Alphys, her voice rising. “H-He’s going to treat me like I’m nothing!” She placed her claws over her eyes. “Oh, wh-what if he makes fun of m-me in front of his fans?”

Alphys chewed on the the tips of her claws as she plunged back into her seat. Sans and Frisk glanced at each other with worry.

“We can probably leave while we still can,” suggested Frisk, placing a hand on Alphys’ shoulder.

Sans looked behind him to see a box-like robot rolling through the mob of screaming fans.

“Too late,” he said. He turned his gaze back to Alphys, fretting over the possible outcomes that could embarrass her to death.

He considered Alphys as a friend, and friends helped each other out in their worst times.

Sans pulled off his jacket and gave it to Alphys. She looked up.

“A little wardrobe change might help,” said Sans with a wink.

Alphys managed a smile and slipped on the jacket, reeking of metal and ketchup. She brought the hood over her head and sat in silence.

“I’ll tell you if he’s coming over,” said Frisk.

“Th-Thank you,” whispered Alphys. Frisk continued eating their glamburger whilst keeping an eye out on Mettaton.

The robot made his way to the small stage, carrying bouquets of roses. His fans lingered at the edge.

“Now now, darlings. I appreciate all of the wonderful gifts, but please; save your applauses for later tonight!” he exclaimed, bombastically. “Remember, my cooking show will be performed here! I would recommend saving your lovely cries for my appearance for tonight's show.”

The fans slowly left the restaurant, blowing kisses and winking at the robot. Mettaton waved goodbye with elegance. He hopped off the stage and noticed Sans, Frisk, and the hidden Alphys. Suspicious, he rolled over and threw himself onto the table. Sans and Frisk were able to save their food, but Alphys’ glamburger flew in the air and landed on the ground, defeated.

“Well, well, well,” muttered Mettaton, flamboyantly. “I am utterly surprised you three didn’t even care to greet me!”

“Didn’t notice you were here,” spoke Sans, keeping his eye sockets on his burger. “We were busy havin’ your _amazing_ food, weren’t we, Frisk?”

Frisk quickly nodded their head in reply. Mettaton grunted and pushed himself off the table. He brushed off his boxy figure. He spotted Alphys and looked at her.

“And what about you, hm?” he said. “You seemed to not have noticed this son of a god right here.”

“I-I-I was e-eating, t-too,” mumbled Alphys, beads of sweat dribbling down her crown.

“Too stunned by my lovely physique, hm?” asked Mettaton, tapping his screen in curiosity. “You know...you remind me of a friend of mine.” Suddenly, the panels blinked wildly. “Now hold on a second.” He pulled the hood off of Alphys. She gasped and held onto her chair.

“Alphys, darling!” cried Mettaton. “I knew it was you!” He lifted her off her chair and swung her around. “It has been oh-so long!” He pulled her into a hug, his stretchy arms winding around the scientist's waist.

Alphys’ mouth gaped open, but morphed into a grin. “I-It’s good to see you, too, Metta.”

Mettaton placed Alphys back on the ground. “What are you even doing here, darling?”

“W-Well, I actually need to get into the Core, b-but I don’t know if the door is unlocked or not,” answered Alphys as she took off Sans’ coat. She handed the jacket back to the skeleton, who took it and put it on. She chuckled awkwardly. "Th-The program to open the door on my computer i-isn't working, so I came h-here to see if th-there was any way I could open it manually."

“Interesting, interesting!” commented Mettaton. “I must say, it’s been a bit dangerous going inside ever since it was finished.” He chuckled. “Well, you already know that with that big brain of yours, but I thought I’d let you know.” He glanced at the door leading out of the gallant room. “I don’t know for sure if the entrance is unlocked, but seeing how you’re the Royal Scientist, you could probably open it up yourself.”

Frisk picked up the trash on the table and Alphys’ destroy burger on their way to the nearby garbage bin. They threw the food into the can and walked back over to the table. They nodded their head towards the lobby at Sans. Noting the message, he tapped Alphys on the shoulder. She turned around and nodded her head.

“W-Well, Mettaton, it was good to see you again, b-but I gotta go and see what’s going on in the Core,” she said. “I-I’ll talk to you soon.”

Mettaton wrapped her into another hug. “Knock ‘em dead, darling, and don’t be a stranger!” He released Alphys and rolled out of the dining room.

Alphys let out a sigh of relief. “God, that was nerve wracking.”

Sans patted her on the back.

“Hey, you did good. Besides, Mettaton seemed nice,” complimented Sans.

Alphys nodded her head in agreement.

“Let’s get going, guys! I wanna see if the Core is opened or not!” exclaimed Frisk, who was already by the exit of the restaurant. Sans and Alphys walked up to Frisk and made their way back into the lobby. They ran towards the door leading into the Core and walked in.

* * *

Neon lights flashed below Frisk’s feet as they walked on the glass bridge. Pipes flowing with artificial magic zoomed into the machine-like building. A metal door with a red, glowing light lied up ahead. The three ran up to the door, praying that it was open.

“Al-Alright. All I have to do is press th-this button, and the door _should_ open,” explained Alphys. She brought her hand close to the button. With force, she slammed the button. And to her surprise, the door opened, revealing the familiar white light that would take the them into the next part of time.

“I-It worked!” gasped Alphys. “It worked!”

“So that hacking stuff in the past worked after all…” commented Sans in awe. “This time stuff is pretty neat.”

Frisk walked up to Sans. "Well, kiddo. You ready to continue on?" he asked. Frisk nodded their head.

The four strolled into the light with ease. They were used to traveling forward in time by now.

And besides, the journey was almost over.

 


	20. Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perducit ad finem viae.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you wondering what the chapter summary means? Why don't you put it in Google Translate with the Latin translator?  
> Use this link to see my upcoming fan fiction: http://fallentale.tumblr.com/post/141311414056/the-journey-is-almost-over-but-the-tales-always  
> And remember, if you do have a Tumblr, feel free to post fan art by using the tag #HomicidalHumanFic or submitting your art to me @fallentale!
> 
> Listen to some music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXvjtwWyFvc&index=13&list=PLhKnzaOo00mAbk5WiLd1W-uOTCiL2mlHB

Once upon a time, a human fell into the Underground. They did not know where they were, but they were filled with JUSTICE.

* * *

 

Frisk was wide awake as they went forward in time. They had already looked at every detail of their new outfit; a yellow blouse peaked out from underneath a leather vest. The ends of their jeans were tucked into red cowboy boots. A cowboy hat with yellow ribbon sat on top of their messy hair. A black belt hugged at Frisk’s hips. Toy guns as bright as the sun slept in holsters that hung at their waist.

This cowboy-esque wardrobe filled Frisk with justice.

Besides Frisk and Chara, Sans and Alphys were also awake. They searched the area to find where they could go first. Alphys stood up and scuffled over to a map of the Core. Unfortunately, it was incomplete. The tiny screen showed only the first room that the group was standing in. The rest of the Core was just a pixelated question mark.

“D-Dammit. They still haven’t put up a map yet,” cursed Alphys.

“Well, don’t you know your way around here, Al?” asked Sans. Alphys pushed up her glasses.

“N-No,” she admitted. “I barely come here. And I-I always have a map with me on my computer back at the lab.”

To Sans and Alphys, the Core was a labyrinth. But to Frisk, the complex building was a mere walk in the park. They had to get used to its view seeing how they had traveled through it many times. The blue, metallic walls and the hissing sounds of steam were all so familiar to Frisk.

“I remember the way,” mentioned Frisk. Sans and Alphys looked at the child.

“Well, lead the way then,” said Sans. Frisk nodded their head. They began to walk towards the left with Sans and Alphys trotting behind them.

The left room lead to a long hallway, containing yet another door with a mechanical symbol above it. Two, shady figures sat by the door. Sans hissed incomprehensible words underneath his breath.

“Great. Mercenaries,” he grumbled.

“Is there anyway we can get past them?” whispered Frisk to Alphys. She scrutinized the guards.

“W-Well, since I’m the Royal Scientist at this point, I-I have free reign over the Core,” stated Alphys. “If th-they ask why you two are here, I’ll j-just say you’re fellow scientists.”

Frisk and Sans nodded their heads in agreement. Alphys took lead and walked towards the guards. Madjick and Knight Knight noticed Alphys’s presence and stood up.

“Uh, we didn’t expect to see you here, Dr. Alphys,” said Madjick. “What are you doing in the Core?”

“I need to check the Overflow,” replied Alphys. “It’s some science stuff.”

Madjick and Knight Knight looked at each other. Knight Knight saw Sans and Frisk behind Alphys. They pointed at them. Madjick looked at the direction that Knight Knight was pointing towards.

“And who are your friends here?” asked Madjick for Knight Knight.

“New scientists. I have to show them around the Core,” answered Alphys, quickly.

“Alright, just don’t let anything happen to them, okay? I know it’s never happened before, but…” said Madjick. “Nevermind. Go on ahead.”

The two monsters cleared the path for Alphys. She nodded her head and walked forward. Frisk and Sans followed behind her.

“Oh trust me, someone’s fallen down in it before,” muttered Sans.

Chara flew down towards Frisk, examining their clothes. “Wow, you even have the guns,” they said in astonishment. Frisk nodded their head.

“You know we’re almost done with this journey, don’t you?” asked Chara. Frisk nodded their head once more. Chara looked down to the ground as they flew. They were a bit disappointed that their adventure would soon be over. They grew attached to Frisk, and did not want to leave them yet.

Could resetting be an option?

Chara pushed the thought aside. They were done resetting, and they were so close to amending all of the horrible choices they forced Frisk to make. They didn’t want to taint their friendship.

The four crossed over a long, cyan bridge with machines that floated above them. Frisk remembered these metal spheres well. They appeared in the first timeline and acted as laser obstacles while they tried to reach Mettaton. Luckily, they weren’t turned on, but Frisk felt like some of the other puzzles would be on the further they traversed through the mechanical complex.

The group soon arrived at a fork in the road. There were three paths; one leading to the east, one to the west, and one to the north. Two signs were drilled into the wall by the left and right paths, reading, “North, the warrior’s path. West, the sage’s path. Any path leads to the End.”

“Figures Dad would put some riddles in his own creation,” remarked Sans. He turned towards Frisk and Alphys.

“I’m pretty sure you need to solve some puzzles to open the door leading into New Home, am I right, Frisk?” asked the skeleton.

Frisk nodded their head. “I don’t know if that door is open or not. You’ve been here before, haven’t you?” Sans nodded his head.

“Well, can you teleport to that door and see if it’s unlocked? If it’s not, then I guess we’ll have to solve the puzzles,” added Frisk.

“Can do. I’ll only be a second,” said Sans. He vanished within a blue light. Seconds passed and the skeleton appeared.

“Door’s locked,” he said, jutting his thumb in the direction of the door.

“That's not a surprise,” said Frisk. “We can split up. There’s this button that you have to press to partially activate the door on the Sage's Path, so can you do that, Sans?” asked Frisk. Sans nodded his head. He went the opposite direction of Frisk and Alphys.

Frisk looked up at Alphys. “Do you want to come with me to complete the puzzle, Alphys?” they asked. Alphys nodded their head.

“S-Sure. If we run into any other guards, I-I have your back,” said Alphys. Frisk smiled and walked towards the left with Alphys by their side. Soon, they arrived at a room with a shooting puzzle. Frisk walked up to the shooting stand while Alphys walked up to a game pad by them. Using the four buttons that were provided, Alphys moved the blocks around to make a clearing for Frisk to shoot. They were given two bullets; one to destroy one block and another to hit the target.

Only one block was in the way of Frisk’s aim. They destroyed it with their first bullet and used the second one to hit the target. “Congratulations!” flashed on the screen above them with a blue coloring.

“Good job, Alphys!” said Frisk, joyfully. Alphys smiled. The two walked out of the puzzle room and met Sans back at the fork.

“Button’s pressed. I can teleport us to the door,” said Sans. Frisk and Alphys nodded their heads. Sans placed his hands on their shoulders and teleported them to the exit door. The next moment, they stood before the door leading out of the Core.

Frisk inhaled deeply and took lead. They entered the dark room where they once had their fight with both Mettaton EX and NEO. The memories collided with each other, forming a bittersweet aura around Frisk. The memories of seeing Mettaton crushed to metal bits also flooded Alphys’ mind. She squeezed her eyes shut to push the memory far away into her mind.

The elevator leading into New Home was ahead. Frisk jogged towards the elevator. Their hand slowly lifted to press the up button.

“I want to press it...but I don’t know what expect next,” Frisk murmured. Chara looked at the elevator with a mixture of curiosity and doubt.

“Well...at least we'll go through it together,” spoke Chara, gazing at Frisk. Frisk looked at the with an uneasy smile. Even though Chara’s words brought determination to Frisk, they still felt nervous about what they were about to encounter.

Sans and Alphys caught up to Frisk. “Well, Frisk. Whenever you wanna press the button, go ahead,” said Sans.

Frisk took a gulp and pressed the button. The elevator doors slid open. The four walked in hesitantly. Sans pressed another up button inside the elevator. The doors shut and the elevator box moved upward.

Nobody spoke throughout the ride. Frisk played with the tie around their neck that secured the cowboy hat to their head. Chara floated in the air, their arms crossed. Alphys stared at the floor with her claws in her lab coat. Sans looked at the ceiling, gazing off into the void.

Suddenly, the elevator doors opened. The four walked out of the elevator, now in the scenery of New Home.

The final light that would take Frisk and company to wherever was near. Frisk held onto their friends hands. Without any words, the four walked into the light.

  
  
  
  
  


*You are filled with DETERMINATION.

 

>CONTINUE


	21. Reset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, I'll say goodbye soon  
> Though its the end of the world,  
> Don't blame yourself now  
> And if its true,  
> I will surround you and give life to a world  
> That's our own  
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember, this adventure isn't over yet...  
> Listen to some music (TRUST ME IT'S REALLY GOOD LISTEN TO IT): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4Wv5M9JPao&list=PLhKnzaOo00mAbk5WiLd1W-uOTCiL2mlHB&index=14

Frisk awoke in a frenzy, sweat beading down their forehead. They quickly looked down, and saw the familiar blue and purple colors of their normal sweater. They smiled, relieved.

Seeing themself in their regular outfit filled them with determination.

But their determination was quickly lost. Neither Sans or Alphys were not beside them. 

Frisk stood up, now in a state of panic. “Sans! Alphys!”

But nobody came.

But it seemed like nobody would come in the black and white throne room of New Home.

The throne room was identical to its future counterpart, except every color was drained from it as if death walked through. The only colors that brought life to the room were the golden flowers that Frisk stood over.

But at least Chara was there beside them.

Frisk turned towards Chara, who had now taken their regular form. There was no transparent appearance about them. The color of their pale skin and sweater had been filled in like someone colored them carefully with a marker. They slept on the floor, their body slowly rising and sinking.

Frisk gasped and ran over to Chara. "Chara! Wake up!"

Chara’s eyelids opened at a slow pace, revealing their crimson eyes. They looked at Frisk and shot up. They clutched Frisk’s face.

“Frisk, you’re okay!” they cried. They wrapped Frisk into a hug. Frisk’s determination flooded back into them. They held onto their friend.

The two children drifted apart from their hug. They helped each other stand up and looked around.

“Who knew that such a warm, comforting place could be so...unsettling,” murmured Chara.

“Are we actually dead?” asked Frisk.

“No. Not yet anyway,” answered a voice. Frisk and Chara looked ahead of them to see the six fallen children. They floated above the ground, staring at Frisk and Chara. Their souls gleamed with a soft light in front of their chests.

“Well, that was quite an adventure, wasn’t it?” asked May to August. August shrugged.

“I felt like it could’ve used some more action, but that’s just me,” said August. Chara held in their curse words. It would not be wise to call out one of the children, especially with them looking so important.

“Frisk, Chara Dreemurr,” spoke Flint. He smiled. “Congratulations on finishing your adventure.” Frisk and Chara bowed slightly.

“You two have not only fixed the mistakes that you have made during the previous timeline, but you have also amended your friendships,” added Iris.

“But looks like we have to judge you now,” said Jacob. Frisk and Chara looked at each other.

“What do you mean, ‘judge us?’” asked Frisk.

“We have to see if you are worthy enough to reset the timeline and continue from where you first fell into the Underground,” said Eloise.

“So, you’re saying that if I’m good enough to live, then I can restart from when I first fell into the Ruins?” asked Frisk. The children nodded their heads.

“And I’m pretty sure Frisk is,” said Jacob to his fellow colleagues. “Can you really blame them for all of that stuff they did last time? Chara played in that.”

Chara glowered at the children. They kept their mouth shut. They wanted to explain to them  _why_ they made Frisk kill everyone in the Underground, but they knew they would break down if they tried to.

“Chara Dreemurr, as for your punishment of stealing the soul of Frisk and countlessly murdering the innocent monsters of the Underground,” spoke Flint, “you will be forced to live in the Ruins and will not be able to move on into the afterlife.”

Chara’s gaze fell to the floor. A part of them wanted to be furious, but...they knew they deserved it. “I knew this was going to happen someday.”

“And as for you, Frisk,” said Flint. Frisk turned their gaze back to the children. “You will be given the chance to perform a True Reset. But if you cause any chaos, you will be forced to live just like Chara.”

Frisk looked at Chara, and then at the children. Full of determination, Frisk nodded their head.

“I’m ready to reset,” said Frisk. The six children swiped their hands at the same time. The RESET button appeared in front of Frisk. They looked at Chara.

“Don’t worry about me, Frisk.” told Chara. “Besides, someone needs to take care of the flowers.”

As tears pooled out of their eyes, Frisk hit the RESET button.

  


> ~~CONTINUE~~

>TRUE RESET


	22. Thank You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And though I know since you've awakened them again  
> They depend on you, They depend on you  
> They'll go on, and never speak of this again  
> We depend on you (I depend on you)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this the true ending?  
> Remember, there is only more day till the adventure continues. Chara and Frisk aren't done telling stories yet.
> 
> Listen to some music here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEK1KYdU5gI&list=PLhKnzaOo00mAbk5WiLd1W-uOTCiL2mlHB&index=16

“Thank you for listening to me, Frisk,” spoke Asriel. He managed a smile. “You should go be with your friends now.”

His eyes fell on the bed of golden flowers beneath his feet. A ladybug flew onto one of the petals, but quickly took away, making its journey back to the world where it had came from.

“Don’t worry about me. Someone has to take care of these flowers.”

Frisk wrapped Asriel into a final hug, more genuine than the last. Asriel closed his eyes as his tears streamed down his face.

Although the embrace was short, it felt like a lifetime to Asriel. He yearned to love, but that would end once again when he would turn back into a flower.

He could always _try_ to love. There was nothing wrong with trying, and Frisk knew that for a fact.

Frisk released Asriel from their clutch. “I’ll come back for you...even if you are a flower.”

More tears coursed down Asriel’s face. Even when he was a murderous flower, Frisk still cared for him. Even when he tried to kill them in the previous moments, Frisk still loved him.

Frisk truly loved him, no matter what he was.

Abruptly, chunks of Asriel’s face progressively transformed into dust. The motes swept away into the air and landed onto the flowers. Asriel stroked the borders of his face that were fading away. His slight shock morphed into an accepting smile.

“I guess my time is up,” he said, looking at his claws with distant eyes. He looked at Frisk. “Frisk...don’t kill and don’t be killed, okay? That’s the best you can strive for.”

Half of Asriel’s body had already turned to dust. He opened up his arms, embracing his fate that he would once again turn back into Flowey. With a melancholic twinkle, his dust motes fell onto the golden flowers.

Frisk’s vision clouded up with tears. They briskly wiped them away before they could fall. They exhaled with a tired smile. 

Their adventure wasn’t over yet; they had to visit one, more person before they could continue onto the world above with their new family.

And just in time, Chara Dreemurr, the first human of the Underground, appeared before Frisk’s eyes. They hadn’t showed up since the final reset took place nor had they accompanied Frisk during their journey to not only save their friends from the withering land of the Underground, but Asriel as well.

Chara took form in full color, losing the see-through appearance like they once had during what Frisk liked to call “The Amending Adventure.” They walked up to Frisk with a small smile.

“Well, it looks like I’m the only one left,” they spoke. Their eyes caught the golden flowers beneath them. They sat down and plucked a flower as a teardrop fell on its flowers They brought the flora close to their lips. “I hope you can forgive me, Asriel...” They sat the flower onto the bed and stood up.

“And I owe you any apology, too,” they said.

Frisk let out a laugh in response. Chara’s face turned red.

“Hey! At least I’m apologizing,” they growled.

Frisk put their hands up in defense. “I know, I know."

A moment of silence passed by. The whistling wind from the world above reached the ears of the children. Dust particles sparkled in the sunlight. In the peaceful world of the Ruins, Chara apologized.

“I’m sorry.”

Chara locked eyes with Frisk for a long moment before collapsing into their arms. They cried silently as Frisk hugged them. They planted a kiss on Chara’s forehead.

“I’m s-so sorry...I’m so sorry,” whispered Chara, their tears rivering down their rosy cheeks.

The two descended to the floor, their arms still tied around one another. Frisk stroked Chara's hair lovingly as tears flowed down Chara's chin.

That single embrace was life-giving to Chara. They had yearned for a caring friend ever since them and Asriel had died from the humans. Yet here they were, in the arms of a new friend.

“Ha...ha…” chuckled Chara, weakly, “I- I don’t want to let go…”

Although Chara had to pay for their crimes, Frisk felt it was a bit unfair to make them stay in the Underground forever. They did not know their entire story, but maybe Chara would tell them one day, and that would give Frisk the ability to sympathize for them even more, like they once did with a certain flower.

“I’ll come visit you,” promised Frisk.

The children released each other from their embrace. Chara wiped the tears from their eyes. “Thank you, Frisk.” They unhooked the golden locket from their neck they had been wearing for ages and handed it to Frisk.

“Asriel would have wanted you to have it,” they said, their voice bittersweet.

Frisk took the locket and strung it around their neck. They made their way for the Ruins, but turned around. They cupped their hands around their mouth, their brown eyes sparkling.

“Chara!” they shouted.

Chara looked up.

Frisk beamed. “I love you!”

As Frisk left the Ruins, Chara cried tears of joy. Seeing the friend they had made along the way of the Amending Adventure…

It filled Chara with  _determination_.


	23. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once upon a time, two children fell into the Underground. They did not know where they were, but they were filled with DETERMINATION.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I CAN'T BELIEVE I FINISHED THIS FAN FICTION. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR SUPPORT! I am a bit sad since I have finished this fic, but all good things must come to an end, right? And the next fan fiction is coming out tomorrow! AHHHHHHHHH  
> I couldn't wait to post the final chapter. Might as well post the entire thing lol.  
> Thank you all so much for reading this. It fills me with inspiration to keep writing. Thank you all so much and goodnight.
> 
> One final music suggestion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3sJ79C1Zyo&list=PLhKnzaOo00mAbk5WiLd1W-uOTCiL2mlHB&index=15

_Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: humans and monsters._

_One day, war broke out between the two races. After a series of tiring and deadly battles, the humans were victorious. With their most skilled magicians, the humans forced the monsters under a mountain and stopped them from escaping with a powerful barrier._

_But many years later, a human appeared._

_Legend says that those who climb the mountain never return._

_But that all changed when the human not only rescued the monsters, but the first fallen one who was destined to never amend their mistakes._

* * *

**THE SURFACE, 201X**

 

They threw their belongings into a pink backpack; sodas, socks, and other necessities inside. They zipped up the pack and slung it around their shoulders. They slipped on their hiking boots and tied the loose strings tight. They snuck out of their room and turned off the light.

They crept down the stairwell, hoping not to awake anyone in the household. They made it to the front door and wrapped their fingers around the brass doorknob. Quietly, they opened the door and ran outside.

A silver slipper of a moon revealed itself from the parting clouds. Crickets exchanged staccato-filled songs with one another. A cool breeze brushed through the maple trees, leaving the scent of golden flowers and maple.

Frisk Dreemurr had yearned for the surface scenery, but from what they saw in the Underground during their travels, they personally felt the Underground had more of a mystical vibe to the atmosphere than the surface. But Mother Nature had many ways of showing her beauty and grace throughout both the Underground and the Surface, and it was quite goreous.

Frisk hopped off the porch and made their way to the sidewalk, until a voice stopped them.

“Heya.”

Frisk froze in their tracks. They slowly pivoted around to see Sans, leaning on the porch. He walked towards Frisk with a mischievous smile.

“Pretty late to go exploring, isn’t it?” he asked.

Frisk huffed in response, still shocked by his sudden appearance. “Shouldn’t you be back at your apartment?”

“Well, Paps and Undyne are doin’ some stuff tonight, so I’d thought I just explore,” said Sans, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

“And you decided to come here?” asked Frisk.

Sans nodded his head, chuckling. “But tell me somethin’ kid; what are _you_ doin’ out here at eleven o’clock at night?” He smirked. “Just kidding. I really don’t know what time it is.”

Frisk bit the inside of their cheek. “I...I have to go see a friend."

“And where does this friend live that you need a backpack and hiking boots?” asked the skeleton, pointing at Frisk’s feet.

“Can’t you connect the dots?”

Sans looked at Frisk for a moment and sighed. “Look, kid, I can help you get to Mount Ebott, but if Toriel gets mad, I’m not takin’ the blame,” he said. “Capiche?”

Sans held out his hand. Frisk, smiling, grabbed it and shook it once. They expected a woopie cushion, but they knew Sans meant to keep this promise this time.

“Capiche,” they replied.

* * *

 “Alright, this is as far as I can take you two,” said the man. He pulled the lever and the bus doors swung open, letting in the cool air.

Frisk and Sans stood up and walked towards the front of the bus. The skeleton placed five dollars into the man’s hand as a tip. The two hopped off of the bus and landed on the forest path. The doors closed behind them as the bus engines roared to life and drove away.

“Alright, kiddo, you gonna be okay?” asked Sans.

Frisk nodded their head. “I’ve got my cellphone, too.”

Sans nodded his head, pleased. “Welp, I guess I’m done here. Looks-”

His cellphone buzzed in his jacket pocket. He fished it out and swiped the “answer” button.

“Hello-” begun Sans.

“Sans,” interrupted a dark voice. “Where is my _child?_ _”_

Sans, trying to restrain his anxiousness, shot Frisk a nervous smile. “D-Don’t worry, Tori. They’re safe with me."

“Do not play games with me, Sans,” warned the voice. “Tell me where Frisk is, or you will _not_ like what will happen to you when you arrive home.”

Despite her vague, simple threat, Sans knew well that he’d end up as smitherenes if he didn’t start talking.

“Th-They’re right here, Tori,” stuttered Sans. “D-Do you wanna talk to them?”

“ _Please_.”

Sans pressed the “speaker” button and handed his phone to Frisk. They took it with shaking hands and brought it close to them.

“M-Mom?” they asked.

“Frisk!” cried Toriel. “Oh my goodness, are you alright? Where are you? Did something happen?” 

“I-I’m okay, Mom,” reassured Frisk.None of this is Sans’ fault.” They looked at Sans with a smile. He covered his laugh.

“Tell me, my child, where _are_ you?” asked Toriel.

Frisk turned their gaze towards the fading, dirt path leading up to infamous mountain. “Mount Ebott.”

Toriel gasped. “My child, why are you _there?”_ The sound of a door opening came from the speaker. Frisk could hear Toriel cover the reciever with her claw.

“Hey, Toriel, is Frisk here?” asked a voice.

“They are not.” replies Toriel, “but I am speaking with them on the phone right now.”

“Really? Where have they gone?” asked another.

“If you would like to talk to them, you may,” said Toriel. A few moments later, someone else picked up the phone.

“Hey, punk, where the hell are you?” shouted a friendly voice. That was definitely Undyne.

“I-I’m just doing some errands,” replied Frisk.

“Errands? At _this_ hour?” asked another. No doubt about it; that was Papyrus. “Did my brother force you to go hotdog shopping with him?”

“No, he’s just helping me do some things,” said Frisk, grinning. “I’ll be back around noon tomorrow though.”

“Good, ‘cuz Alphys found this new anime that she wants all of us to watch!” exclaimed Undyne. “We were gonna come and pick you up right now, but since you’re doing some nerdy errands, I guess we’ll have to wait for tomorrow.” She snorted. “None of us could sleep, so we wanted to come see you."

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back to watch anime with you,” said Frisk with a smile.

“Good!” cheered Undyne. “See you tomorrow, punk!”

“Goodbye, Frisk!” called Papyrus, his voice distant from the phone, “and don’t let Sans make you do anything I wouldn’t do!” There was another moment of silence as they passed the phone back to Toriel.

“My child, if you wished to travel Mount Ebott, you could have just told me,” giggled Toriel.

“I know, but I thought you’d be mad...” muttered Frisk, embarrassed.

”I would not have, dear,” spoke Toriel, motherly. “Just be careful, alright?”

“I will,” they said. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Be good, my child,” said Toriel.

The call ended. Frisk handed the phone back to Sans,

“Well, I better get going if I want to get back home around noon,” said Frisk.

Sans nodded his head. “If you need anything, just shoot me a text.” He beamed, the pinpricks of white in his eyesockets brightening. “You never know when things can get _frisky_ on Mount Ebott.”

Frisk laughed. “Thanks, Sans.”

Sans tipped his head and disappeared within a blue light. Frisk turned towards the dirt path and began to make their trip back into the Underground.

This journey filled them with patience, bravery, honesty, perseverance, kindness, justice, and of course...

_Determination._

 

  
**THE END**


End file.
